MEMOIRS 


Of 


Qdd  Adventures, 

Strange  Deliverances,  etc. 


IN    THE 


Captivity  of  John  Giles,  Esq., 

COMMANDER  OF  THE  GARRISON  ON  SAINT  GEORGE  RIVER,  IN  THE 
DISTRICT  OF  MAINE. 


WRITTEN    BY    HIMSELF. 


Originally  Published  at  Boston,  1736. 


Printh©  Foa  WILLIAM,  DODGE 


«  It  fc«.«V  ■■!  > 

''  t     *    1      t  f  ',        "I  t 

»     I      ,  .  V  t      i    •  =  '    -  ;       I       I 


^    CINCINNATI: 

8PILLER  A  GATES,  PRINTERS,  168  VINE  STREET. 


1869. 


o* 


INTROD  UCTION 


These  private  memoirs  were  collected  from  my 
minutes,  at  the  earnest  request  of  my  second  consort , 
for  the  use  of  our  family,  that  we  might  have  a  me 
mento  ever  ready  at  hand,  to  excite  in  ourselves  grat- 
itude and  thankfulness  to  God ;  and  in  our  offspring  a 
due  sense  of  their  dependence  on  the  Sovereign  of  the 
universe,  from  the  precariousness  and  vicissitudes  of 
all  sublunary  enjoyments.  In  this  state,  and  for  this 
end,  they  have  laid  by  me  for  some  years.  They  at 
length  falling  into  the  hands  of  some,  for  whose  judg- 
ment I  had  a  value,  I  was  pressed  for  a  copy  for  the 
public.  Others,  desiring  of  me  to  extract  particulars 
from  them,  which  the  multiplicity  and  urgency  of  ray 
affairs  would  not  admit,  I  have  now  determined  to 
suffer  their  publication.  I  have  not  made  scarce  any 
addition  to  this  manual,  except  in  the  chapter  of  crea- 
tures, which  I  was  urged  to  make  larger.  I  might 
have  greatly  enlarged  it,  but  I  feared  it  would  grow 
beyond  its  proportion.  I  have  been  likewise  advised 
to  give  a  particular  account  of  my  father,  which  I  am 
not  very  fond  of,  having  no  dependence  on  the  virtues 
or  honors  of  mv  ancestors  to  recommend  me  to  the 


iv  Introduction, 


favor  of  God  or  men  ;  nevertheless,  because  some  think 
it  is  a  respect  due  to  the  memory  of  ray  parents,  whose 
name  I  was  obliged  to  mention  in  the  following  story, 
and  a  satisfaction  whicli  their  posterity  might  justly 
expect  from  me,  I  shall  give  some  account  of  him, 
though  as  brief  as  possible. 


The  flourishing  state  of  New  England,  before  the 
unhappy  eastern  wars,  drew  my  father  hither,  whose 
first  settlement  was  on  Kennebeck  river,  at  a  place 
called  Merry  meeting  Bay,  where  he  dwelt  for  some 
years;  until,  on  the  death  of  my  grand  parents,  he, 
with  his  family  returned  to  England,  to  settle  his 
affairs.  This  done,  he  came  over  with  the  design  to 
have  returned  to  his  farm ;  but  on  his  arrival  at  Bos- 
ton, the  eastern  Indians  had  begun  thei'.-  hostilities. 
He  therefore  begun  a  settlement  on  Long  Island.  The 
air  of  that  place  not  so  well  agreeing  with  his  constitu- 
tion, and  the  Indians  having  become  peaceable,  he 
again  proposed  to  resettle  his  lands  in  Merrymeeting 
Bay  ;  but  finding  that  place  deserted,  and  that  planta- 
tions were  going  on  at  Pemmaquid,  he  purchased  sev- 
eral tracts  of  land  of  the  inhabitants  there.  Upon  his 
highness  the  duke  of  York  resuming  a  claim  to  those 
parts,  my  father  took  out  patents  under  that  claim ; 
and  when  Pemmaquid  was  set  off  by  the  name  of  the 
county  of  Cornwall,  in  the  province  of  New  York,  he 


Introduction, 


was  c'ominiHsioiK'(l  cliii^t'  justice  of  the  same  bv  Gov. 
Duncan  [Dongan.J'^'  l[o  was  a  strict  Sabbatarian,  and 
met  witli  considerable  difficulty  in  tlie  discharge  of  liis 
office,  from  the  immoralities  of  a  people  who  had  long 
lived  lawless.  He  laid  out  no  inconsiderable  income, 
which  he  had  annually  from  England,  on  the  place, 
and  at  last  lost  his  life  there,  as  will  hereafter  be 
related. 

I  am  not  insensible  of  the  truth  of  an  assertion  of 
Sir  Roger  L'Estrange,  that  "  Books  and  dishes  have 
this  common  fate  :  no  one  of  either  ever  pleased  all 
tastes."  And  I  am  fully  of  opinion  in  this:  "It  is  as 
little  to  be  wished  for  as  expected ;  for  a  universal 
applause  is,  at  least,  two-thirds  of  a  scandal."  To 
conclude  with  Sir  Roger,  "  Though  I  made  this  com- 
position principally  for  my  family,  yet,  if  any  man  has 
a  mind  to  take  part  with  me,  he  has  free  leave,  and  is 
welcome;"  but  let  him  carry  this  consideration  along 
with  him,  "  that  he  is  a  very  unmannerly  guest  who 
forces  himself  upon  another  man's  table,  and  then  quar- 
rels with  his  dinner." 


*  He  had  bocn  nppointeJ  Governor  of  Now  York,  •in  Sept.  1082.—,'!.  CJ.  Dhake. 


MEMOIRS 


OP 


Odd  Adventures,  Strange  Deliverances,  Etc. 


CHAPTER    I. 

CONTAINING    THE    OCCURRENCES    OF    THE    FIRST    YEAR. 

On  the  second  day  of  August,  1689,  in  the  morning, 
my  honored  father,  Thomas  Gyles,  Esq.,  went  with 
some  laborers,  my  two  elder  brothers  and  myself,  to 
one  of  his  farms,  whicli  laid  upon  the  river  about  three 
miles  above  fort  Charles,*  adjoining  Pemniaquid  falls, 
there  to  gather  in  his  p]nglish  harvest,  and  we  labored 
securely  till  noon.  After  we  had  dined,  our  people 
went  to  their  labor,  some  in  one  field  to  their  English 
liay,  the  others  to  another  field  of  English  corn.  My 
father,  the  youngest  of  my  two  brothers,  and  myself, 
tarried  near  the  farm-house  in  which  we  had  dined  till 
about  one  of  the  clock,  at  which  time  we  heard  the 
report  of  several  great  guns  at  the  fort.  Upon  which 
my  father  said  he  hoped  it  was  a  signal  of  good  news, 


*Fort  Charles  stood  on  the  spot  where  fort  Frederick  wns,  not  loiix  since,  foiimlfd 
by  Colonel  Dunbar.  The  townshiii  ad.joinitiia;  thereto  was  eallod  .Iiinu'stown,  in  honor 
to  the  duke  of  York.  In  this  town,  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  fort,  was  my 
father's  dwelling-house,  from  which  he  went  out  that  unhappy  morning. 


8         Memoirs  of  Odd  AdventureSy 


aiul  that  the  groat  council  laid  sent  back  the  soldiers, 
to  cover  the  inhabitants;  (for  on  report  of  the  revolu- 
tion tiiey  had  deserted.)     But  to  our  great  surprise, 
about   thirty  or  forty  Indians,'"  at   that  moment,  dis- 
cliarg«'d  a  volley  of  shot  at  us,  from  behind  a  rising 
ground,  near  our  barn.     The  yelling  of  the  Indians,*}* 
the  whistling  of  their  shot,  and  the  voice  of  my  father, 
whom  J  heard  cry  out,  "What  now!  what  now!"  so 
terrilied  me  (though  he  seemed  to  be  handling  a  gun), 
that  ]  endeavored  to  make  my  escape.     My  brother 
ran  one   way   and  I   another,   and   looking  over  my 
shoulder,  I  saw  a  stout  fellow,  painted,  pursuing  me, 
witii  a  gun,  and  a  cutlass  glittering  in  his  hand  which 
I  expected  every  moment  in  my  brains.     I  soon  fell 
down,  and  the  Indian  seized  mo  by  the  left  hand.     He 
offered  me  no  abuse,  but  tied  my  arms,  then  lifted  me 
up  and  pointed  to  the  place  where  the  people  were  at 
work   about  the  hay,  and  led  rae  that  way.     As  we 
went,  we  crossed  where  my  father  was,  who  looked 
vely  pale  and  bloody,  and  walked  very  slowly.    When 
we  came  to  the  place,  I  saw  two  men  shot  down  on 
the  flats,  and  one  or  two  more  knocked  on  their  heads 
with  hatchets,  crying  out  "0  Lord,"  dc.     There  the 
Indians   brought   two  captives,  one  a  man,  and  my 
brother   James,   who,   with    me,    had   endeavored   to 
escape  by  running  from  the  house  when  we  were  first 
attacked.     This  brother  was  about  fourteen  years  of 


*Tlu>  wholo  company  of  Indians,  m^cording  to  Charlevoix,  was  one  hundred. — S.  G. 
Dhake. 

t  The  Indians  have  a  custom  of  uttering  a  most  horrid  howl  when  they  discharge 
guns,  designing  thereby  to  terrify  those  wlioni  they  fight  against. 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc. 


a^c.  A[y  oKlost  Id'otlicr,  wliosc  nainc  was  Thomas, 
woiidorl'iilly  cscapcMl  liy  land  to  the  l>ai'I)i('aii,  a  point 
of  land  on  the  west  sido  of  tlio  river,  opposite  tlu'  fort, 
wlieru  .several  iisliiii<^  vessels  lay.  He  j^ot  on  board 
one  of  tlieni  and  sailed  that  ni,<i;lit. 

After  doing  what  niisehief  they  could,  they  sat 
down  and  made  us  sit  with  tluMn.  After  some  time 
we  arose,  and  the  IndianH  pointed  for  us  to  go  eastward. 
We  marched  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  then  made 
a  halt.  Itcre  they  brought  my  father  to  us.  They 
made  proposals  to  liim,  by  old  Moxus,  who  told  him 
that  those  wore  strange  Indians  who  shot  him,  and 
that  he  was  sorry  for  it.  My  father  replied  that  he 
was  a  dying  man,  and  wanted  no  favor  of  them,  but  to 
pray  with  his  children.  This  being  granted  him,  he 
recommended  us  to  the  protection  and  blessing  of  God 
Almighty  ;  then  gave  us  tby  best  advice,  and  took  his 
leave  for  this  life,  hoping  in  God  that  we  should  meet 
in  a  better.  He  parted  with  a  cheerful  voice,  but 
looked  very  pale,  by  reason  of  his  great  loss  of  blood, 
which  now  gushed  out  of  his  shoes.  The  Indians  led 
him  aside  I — I  heard  the  blows  of  the  hatchet,  but 
neither  shriek  nor  groan!  I  afterwards  heard  that  he 
had  five  or  seven  shot-holes  through  his  waistcoat  or 
jacket,  and  that  he  was  covered  with  some  boughs. 

The  Indians  led  us,  their  captives,  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river,  towards  the  fort,  and  when  we  came  within 
a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  fort  and  town,  and  could  see 
the,  fort,  we  saw  fire  and  smoke  on  all  sides.  Here 
we  made  a^  short  stop,  and  then  moved  within  or  near 
the  distance  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  fort, 

2 


I  o       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 


into  a  thick  swamp.  There  I  saw  my  mother  and  ray 
two  Httle  sisters,  and  many  other  captives  who  were 
taken  from  the  town.  My  mother  asked  me  about 
my  lather.  I  told  her  lie  was  killed,  but  could  say  no 
more  for  grief.  She  burst  into  tears,  and  the  Indians 
moved  me  a  little  farther  off,  and  seized  me  with  cords 
to  a  tree. 

The  Indians  came  to  New  Harbor,  and  sent  spies 
several  days  to  observe  how  and  where  the  people 
were  employed,  (fee,  who  found  the  men  were  generally 
at  work  at  noon,  and  left  about  their  houses  only 
women  and  children.  Therefore  the  Indians  divided 
themselves  into  several  parties,  some  ambushing  the 
way  between  the  fort  and  the  houses,  as  likewise  be- 
tween them  and  the  distant  fields  ;  and  then  alarming 
the  farthest  off  first,  they  killed  and  took  the  people, 
as  they  moved  toward  the  town  and  fort,  at  their 
pleasure,  and  very  few  escaped  to  it.  Mr.  Pateshall 
was  taken  and  killed,  as  he  lay  with  his  sloop  near  the 
Barbican. 

On  the  first  stir  about  the  fort,  my  youngest  brother 
was  at  play  near  it,  and  running  in,  was,  by  God's 
goodness,  thus  preserved.  Captain  Weems,  with  great 
courage  and  resolution,  defended  the  weak  old  fort* 
two  days ;  when,  being  much  wounded,  and  the  best 
of  his  men  killed,  beat  for  a  parley,  which  eventuated 
in  these  conditions : 


*  I  presimio  Charlevoix  wns  misinformed  nliout  the  strengtli  of  this  pliioe.  He  snys: 
"  lis  (the  English)  y  avoient  fait  un  fort  bel  establissement,  defendu  par  un  fort,  qui 
n'etoit  a  la  verite  que  de  pieux,  mais  assez  regulierement  construit,  avec  •v'tngt  canons 
monies." 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc.  1 1 


1.  That  tliey,  the  Indians,  should  give  him  Mr. 
Pateshall's  sloop, 

2.  That  they  should  not  molest  him  in  carrying  off 
the  few  people  that  had  got  into  the  fort,  .uid  three 
captives  that  they  had  taken. 

3.  That  the  English  should  carry  off  in  their  hands 
what  they  could  from  the  fort. 

On  these  conditions  the  fort  was  surrendered,  and 
Captain  Weems  went  off;  and  soon  after,  the  Indians 
set  on  fire  the  fort  and  houses,  which  made  a  terrible 
blast,  and  was  a  melancholy  sight  to  us  poor  captives, 
who  were  sad  spectators,  .        •      • 

After  the  Indians  had  thus  laid  waste  Pemmaquid, 
they  moved  us  to  New  Harbor,  about  two  miles  east 
of  Pemmaquid,  a  cove  much  frequented  by  fishermen. 
At  this  place  there  were,  before  the  war,  about  twelve 
houses.  These  the  inhabitants  deserted  as  soon  as  the 
rumor  of  war  reached  the  place.  When  we  turned  our 
backs  on  the  town,  my  heart  was  ready  to  break !  I 
saw  my  mother.  She  spoke  to  me,  but  I  could  not 
answer  her.  That  night  we  tarried  at  New  Harbor, 
and  the  next  day  went  in  their  canoes  for  Penobscot. 
About  noon,  the  canoe  in  which  my  mother  was,  and 
that  in  which  I  was,  came  side  by  side  ;  whether  acci- 
dentally or  by  my  mother's  desire,  I  can  not  say.  She 
asked  me  how  I  did,  I  think  I  said  "pretty  well," 
but  my  heart  was  so  full  of  grief  I  scarcely  knew 
whether  audible  to  her.  Then  she  said,  "  Oh  !  my 
child  !  how  joyful  and  pleasant  it  would  be  if  we  were 
going  to  old  England,,  to  see  your  uncle  Chalker  and 
other  friends  there  !     Poor  babe,  we  are  going  into  the 


1 2        Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures, 


wilderness,  the  Lord  knows  where  f-"  Then  bursting 
into  tears,  the  canoes  parted.  Tliat  niglit  following, 
the  Indians  with  their  captives,  lodged  on  an  island. 

A  few  days  after,   we   arrived  at    Penol>scot  lort, 
where  I  again  saw  my  mother,  my  brother  and  sisters, 
and  many  other  captives.     I  think    we  tarried   here 
eight  days.     In  that  time,  the  Jesuit  of  the  place  had 
a  great  mind  to  buy  me.     My  Indian  master  made  a 
visit  to  the  Jesuit,  and  carried  me  with  him.     And 
here  I  will  note  that  the  Indian  who  takes  a  captive  is 
accounted  his  master,  and  has  a  perfect  right  to  him, 
until  he  gives  or  sells  him  to  another.     I  saw  the 
Jesuit  'show  my  master  pieces  of  gold,  and  understood 
afterward  that  he  was  tendering  them  for  my  ransom. 
He  gave  me  a  biscuit',  which  I  put  into  my  pocket, 
and  not  daring  to  eat  it,  buried  it  under  a  log,  fearing 
he  had  put  sometliing  in  it  to  make  me  love  him.     Be- 
ing very  young,  and  having  heard  much  of  the  Papists 
torturing  the  Protestants,  caused  me  to  act  thus ;  and 
I  hated    the  sight  of  a  Jesuit.*     When   my  mother 
heard  the  talk  of  ray  being  sold  to  a  Jesuit,  she  said 
to  me,  "Oh!  my  dear  child,  if  it  were  God's  will,  I 
had  rather  follow  you  to  your  grave,  or  never  see  you 
more  in  this  world,  than  you  should  be  sold  to  a  J  esuit ; 
for  a  Jesuit  will  ruin  you,  body  and  soul  !"f     It  pleased 


*  It  is  not  to  be  wondoiod  iit  that  antipiithy  should  ho  so  plninly  oxhihitod  nt  this 
timo,  ooiisiilpriiis  vvliiit  hiid  t)crn  K"i>iK  "'i  '"  Eiislmiil  up  to  tlio  hitpst  dates  ;  but  tliiit 
cliildioii  should  liiivo  boon  taught  that  ('at!ioIi<'s  had  tho  jxnvoi'  of  whining  ovor  hore- 
tios  by  any  mysterious  powders,  or  other  arts  furnished  them  by  his  satnnie  nnijosty, 
is  a  matter,  to  say  tho  least,  of  no  little  admiration.— S.  ii.  Drake. 

f  It  may  not  be  improper  to  hear  how  the  Jesuits  themselves  viewed  these  matters. 
The  settlement  here  was,  according  to  the  French  account,  in  their  <lominions,  and 
the  English  settlers  "  incommoded  extremely  from  thence  all  the  Indians  in  the 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  13 

God  to  grant  her  request,  for  she  never  saw  me  more  ! 
Yet  she  and  ray  two  little  sisters  were,  after  several 
years'  captivity,  redeemed,  but  she  died  ere  I  returned. 
My  brother,  who  was  taken  with  me,  was,  after  sev- 
eral years'  captivity,  most  barbarously  tortured  to 
death  by  the  Indians. 

My  Indian  master  carried  me  up  Penobscot  river  to- 
a  village  called  Madawamkee,  which  stands  on  a  point 
of  land  between  the  main  river  and  a  branch  which 
heads  to  the  east  of  it.  At  home  I  had  ever  seen 
strangers  treated  with  the  utmost  civility,  and  being  a 
stranger,  I  expected  some  kind  treatment  here ;  but  I 
soon  found  myself  deceived,  for  I  presently  saw  a  num- 
ber of  squaws,  who  had  got  together  in  a  circle,  danc- 
ing and  yelling.  An  old  grim-looking  one  took  me  by 
the  hand,  and  leading  me  into  the  ring,  some  seized  me 
by  the  hair,  and  others  by  my  hands  and  feet,  like 
so  many  furies  ;  but  my  master  presently  laying  down 
a  pledge,  they  released  me. 

A  captive  among  the  Indians  is  exposed  to  all  man- 
ner of  abuses,  and  to  the  extremest  tortures,  unless 
their  master,  or  some  of  their  master's  relations,  lay 
down  a  ransom,  such  as  a  bag  of  corn,  a  blanket,  or 
the  like,  which  redeems  them  from  their  cruelty  for 


iidjnoent  country,  who  were  the  avowed  frienas  of  the  French,  and  caused  the  govern- 
ment of  Acadia  no  less  inquietude,  who  feared,  with  reason,  the  effect  of  their  intrigues 
in  detaching  the  Indians  from  their  alliance.  The  Indians,  who  undertook  to  break 
up  the  post  at  Pemmaquid,  were  Peuobscots,  among  whom  ii  Jesuit,  named  M.  Tiiuby, 
a  good  laborer  in  the  faith,  had  a  numerous  mission.  The  fir.«t  attention  before  setting 
out  of  these  brave  Christians  was  to  secure  aid  of  the  God  of  battles,  by  confessions  and 
the  sacrament ;  and  they  took  care  that  their  wives  and  children  performed  the  same 
rites,  and  raised  their  pure  hands  to  heaven,  while  their  fathers  and  mothers  went 
out  to  do  battle  against  the  heretics."    See  Charlevoix.— S.  O.  Dbake. 


:4       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 


that  dance.  The  next  day  we  went  up  that  eastern 
branch  of  Penobscot  river  many  leagues;  carried  over 
land  to  a  large  pond,  and  from  one  pond  to  another, 
till,  in  a  few  days,  we  went  down  a  river  called  Me- 
docktack,  which  vents  itself  into  St.  John's  river.  But 
before  we  came  to  the  mouth  of  this  river,  we  passed 
over  a  long  carrying  place,  to  Medocktack  fort,  which 
stands  on  a  bank  of  St.  John's  river.  My  master  went 
before,  and  left  me  with  an  old  Indian,  and  two  or 
three  squaws.  The  old  man  often  said  (which  was  all 
the  English  he  could  speak),  "  By  and  by  come  to  a 
great  town  and  fort."  I  now  comforted  myself  in 
thinking  how  finely  I  should  be  refreshed  when  I  came 
to  this  great  town. 

After  some  miles'  travel  we  came  in  sight  of  a 
large  cornfield,  and  soon  after  of  the  fort,  to  my  great 
surprise.  Two  or  three  squaws  met  us,  took  off  my 
pack,  and  led  me  to  a  large  hut  or  wigwam,  where 
thirty  or  forty  Indians  were  dancing  and  yelling  round 
five  or  six  poor  captives,  who  had  been  taken  some 
months  before  from  Quochech,  at  the  time  Major  Wal- 
dron  was  so  barbarously  butchered  by  them.  And 
before  proceeding  with  my  narrative,  I  will  give  a 
short  account  of  that  action. 

Major  Waldron's  garrison  was  taken  on  the  night  of 
the  27th  of  June,  1689.*     I  have  heard  the  Indians 


*The  date  stnndn  in  the  old  narrativp,  "  in  the  beginning  of  April  on  the  night  after 
a  Sabbath,"  which  being  an  error,  I  have  corrected  it.  What  time  in  the  night  of  the 
27th  the  place  was  attacked,  is  not  mentioned,  but  the  accounts  of  it  are  chiefly  dated 
the  day  following,  viz.  the  28th*  when  the  tragedy  was  finished.  The  squaws  had  taken 
up  their  lodging  there  on  the  night  of  the  27th,  .and  if  the  attack  begun  before  midnigt, 
which  it  probably  did,  the  date  in  the  text  is  the  true  one.— H.  G.  Drake. 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  tg 


say  at  a  feast  that  as  there  was  a  truce  for  some  days, 
they  contrived  to  send  in  two  squaws  to  take  notice  of 
the  numbers,  lodgings,  and  other  circumstances  of  the 
people  in  his  garrison,  and  if  they  could  obtain  leave  to 
lodge  there,  to  open  the  gates  and  whistle.  (They  said 
the  gates  had  no  locks,  but  were  fastened  with  pins, 
and  that  they  kept  no  watch.)  The  squaws  had  a 
favorable  season  to  prosecute  their  projection,  for  it 
was  dull  weather  when  they  came  to  beg  leave  to  lodge 
in  the  garrison.  They  told  the  major  that  a  great 
many  Indians  were  not  far  from  thence,  with  a  consid- 
erable quantity  of  beaver,  who  would  be  there  to  trade 
with  him  the  next  day.  Some  of  the  people  were  very 
much  against  their  lodging  in  the  garrison,  but  the 
major  said,  "  Let  the  poor  creatures  lodge  by  the  fire." 
The  squaws  went  into  every  apartment,  and  observing 
the  numbers  in  each,  when  all  the  people  were  asleep, 
arose  and  opened  the  gates,  gave  the  signal,  and  the 
other  Indians  came  to  them ;  and  having  received  an 
account  of  the  state  of  the  garrison,  they  divided 
according  to  the  number  of  people  in  each  apartment, 
and  soon  took  and  killed  them  all.  The  major  lodged 
within  an  inner  room,  and  when  the  Indians  broke  in 
upon  him,  he  cried  out:  "What  now!  what  now!" 
and  jumping  out  of  bed  with  only  his  shirt  on,  seized 
his  sword  and  drove  them  before  him  through  two  or 
three  doors  ;  but  for  some  reason,  turning  about  toward 
the  apartment  he  had  just  left,  an  Indian  came  up  be- 
hind him,  knocked  him  on  the  head  with  his  hatchet, 
which  stunned  him,  and  he  fell.  They  now  seized 
him,  dragged  him  out,  and  setting  him  upon  a  long 


6       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 


table  in  his  hall,  bid  him  "judge  Indians  ao;jiin." 
Then  they  cut  and  stabbed  him,  and  ho  cried  out  "0, 
Lord!  0,  Lord!"  They  bid  him  order  his  book  of 
accounts  to  be  brought,  and  to  cross  out  all  the  Indians' 
debts*  (he  having  traded  much  with  them).  After 
they  had  tortured  him  to  death,  they  burned  the  gar- 
rison and  drew  off.  This  narration  I  liad  from  their 
own  mouths,  at  a  general  meeting,  and  have  reason  to 
think  it  true.f     But  to  return  to  my  narrative. 

I  was  whirled  in  among  the  circle  of  Indians,  and 
we  prisoners  looked  on  each  other  with  a  sorrowful 
countenance.  Presently  one  of  them  was  seized  by 
each  hand  and  foot,  by  four  Indians,  who,  swinging 
him  up,  let  his  back  fall  on  the  ground  with  full  force. 
This  they  repeated  till  they  had  <lanced,  as  they  called 
it,  round  the  whole  wigwam,  wliicli  was  some  thirty  or 
forty  feet  in  length.  But  when  they  torture  a  boy 
they  take  him  up  between  two.  This  is  one  of  their 
customs  of  torturing  captives.  Another  is  to  take  up 
a  person  by  the  middle,  with  his  head  downward,  and 
jolt  him  till  one  would  think  his  bowels  would  shake 
out  of  his  mouth.  Sometimes  they  will  take  a  captive 
by  the  hair  of  the  head,  and  stooping  him  forward, 
strike  him  on  the  back  and  shoulder,  till  the  blood 
gushes  out  of  his  mouth  and  nose.  Sometimes  an  old 
shriveled  squaw  will  take  up  a  shovel  of  hot  embers 
and  throw  them  into  a  captive's  bosom.     If  he  cry 


*  When  they  gnehed  his  naked  breast,  they  said  in  derision,  "  /c/os.s  out  my  account." 
— S.  G.  Dbakb. 

t  In  a  previous  note  to  another  narrative,  I  have  referred  the  reader  to  my  Inrge 
work  (The  Book  of  the  Indians),  where  all  the  circumstances  of  this  shocking  nffair 
are  detailed.— S.  6.  Dkaci. 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  ij 

out,  the  Indians  will  laugh  and  siiout,  and  say,  "What 
a  brave  action  our  old  grandmother  has  done."  Some- 
times they  torture  thein  with  whips,  &c. 

The  Indians  looked  on  me  with  a  fierce  countenance, 
as  much  as  to  say,  it  will  be  your  turn  next.  They 
champed  cornstalks,  which  they  threw  into  my  hat  as 
I  held  it  in  ray  hand.  I  smiled  on  them,  though  my 
heart  ached.  I  looked  on  one  and  another,  but  could 
not  perceive  that  any  eye  pitied  me.  Presently  came 
a  squaw  and  a  little  girl,  and  laid  down  a  bag  of  corn 
in  the  ring.  The  little  girl  took  me  by  the  hand, 
making  signs  for  me  to  ^  out  of  the  circle  with  them. 
Not  knowing  their  custom,  I  supposed  they  designed 
to  kill  me,  and  refused  to  go.  Then  a  grave  Indian 
came  and  gave  me  a  short  pipe,  and  said  in  English, 
'*  Smoke  it ;"  then  he  took  me  by  the  hand  and  led  me 
out.  My  heart  ached,  thinking  myself  near  my  end. 
But  he  carried  me  to  a  French  hut,  about  a  mile  from 
the  Indian  fort.  The  Frenchman  was  not  at  home, 
but  his  wife,  who  was  a  squ  .w,  had  some  discourse 
with  ray  Indian  friend,  whidi  I  did  not  understand. 
We  tarried  about  two  hours,  then  returned  to  the 
Indian  village,  where  they  gave  me  some  vi(^tuals. 
Not  long  after  this  I  saw  one  of  my  fellow-captives, 
who  gave  me  a  melancholy  account  of  their  sufferings 
after  I  left  them. 

After  some  weeks  had  passed,  we  left  this  village 
and  went  up  St.  John's  river  about  ten  miles,  to  a 
branch  called  Medockscenecasis,  where  there  was  one 
wigwam.  At  our  arrival  an  old  squaw  saluted  me 
with  a  yell,  taking  me  by  the  hair  and  one  hand,  but 
3 


1 8        Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures, 

I  was  so  rude  as  "to  break  her  liold  and  free  myself. 
She  gave  me  a  filthy  grin,  and  the  Indians  set  up  a 
laugh,  and  so  it  passed  over.  Here  we  lived  upon  fish, 
wild  grapes,  roots,  Ac,  which  was  hard  living  to  me. 

When  the  winter  came  on  we  went  up  the  river  till 
the  ice  came  down,  running  thick  in  the  river,  when, 
according  to  the  Indian  custom,  wp  laid  up  our  canoes 
till  spring.  Then  we  traveled  sometimes  on  the  ice, 
and  sometimes  on  tho  land,  till  we  came  to  a  river 
that  was  open,  but  not  fordable,  where  we  made  a  raft 
and  passed  over,  bag  and  baggage.  I  met  witli  no  abuse 
from  them  in  this  winter's  hunting,  though  I  was  put 
to  great  hardships  in  carrying  burdens  and  for  want  of 
food.  But  they  underwent  the  same  difficulty,  and 
would  often  encourage  me,  saying,  in  broken  English, 
"By  and  hy  great  deal  inoose."  Yet  they  could  not 
answer  any  question  I  asked  them.  And  knowing 
little  of  their  customs  and  way  of  life,  I  thought  it 
tedious  to  be  constantly  moving  from  place  to  place, 
though  it  might  be  in  some  respects  an  advantage ;  for 
it  ran  still  in  my  mind  that  we  were  traveling  to  some 
settlement ;  and  when  my  burden  was  over-heavy,  and 
the  Indians  left  me  behind,  and  the  still  evening  coming 
on,  I  fancied  I  could  see  through  the  bushes  and  hear 
the  people  of  some  great  town ;  which  hope,  though 
some  support  to  rae  in  the  day,  yet  I  found  not  the 
town  at  night. 

Thus  we  were  hunting  three  hundred  miles*  from 

*A  pardonable  error,  perhnps,  considering  the  author's  ignorance  of  the  geogrnpliy 
of  the  country.  He  could  hardly  haTe  got  three  hundred  miles  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Penobscot,  in  a  northerly  direction,  without  crossing  the  St.  Lawrence.— S.  0. 
Dbake, 


Strange  Deliverances ^  etc,  19 

the  sea,  and  knew  no  man  within  fifty  or  si  cty  miles 
of  us.  We  were  eight  or  ten  in  number,  and  had  but 
two  guns,  on  which  we  wholly  depended  for  food.  If 
any  disaster  had  happened,  we  must  all  have  perished. 
Sometimes  we  had  no  manner  of  sustenance  for  three 
or  four  days;  but  God  wonderfully  provides  for  all 
creatures.  In  one  of  these  fasts,  God's  providence  was 
remarkable.  Our  two  Indian  men  who  liad  guns,  in 
hunting,  started  a  moose,  but  there  being  a  shallow 
crusted  snow  on  the  ground,  and  the  moose  discovering 
them,  ran  with  great  force  into  a  swamp.  The  Indians 
went  round  the  swamp,  and  finding  no  track,  returned 
at  night  to  the  wigwam  and  told  what  had  happened. 
The  next  morning  they  followed  him  on  the  track  and 
soon  found  him  lying  on  the  snow.  He  had,  in  cross- 
ing the  roots  of  a  large  tree  that  had  been  blown  down, 
broken  through  the  ice  made  over  the  water  in  the 
hole  occasioned  by  the  roots  of  the  tree  taking  up  the 
ground,  and  hitched  one  of  his  hind  legs  among  the 
roots  so  fast  that  by  striving  to  get  it  out,  he  pulled 
his  thigh-bone  out  of  its  socket  at  the  hip,  and  thus 
extraordinarily  were  we  provided  for  in  our  great  strait. 
Sometimes  they  would  take  a  bear,  which  go  into  dens 
in  the  fall  of  the  year  without  any  sort  of  food,  and  lie 
there  four  or  five  months  without  food,  never  going  out 
till  spring,  in  which  time  they  neither  lose  or  gain  in 
flesh.  If  they  went  into  their  dens  fat  they  came  out 
so,  and  if  they  went  in  lean  they  came  out  lean.  I 
have  seen  some  which  have  come  out  with  four  whelps, 
and  both  very  fat,  and  then  we  feasted.  An  old  squaw 
and  a  captive,  if  any  present,  must  stand  without  the 


20       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures ^ 

wigwam,  shaking  their  hands  and  bodies,  as  in  a  dance, 
and  singing,  "  Weuaoe  oh  nelo  won,"  which  in  Eng- 
lish is,  "  Fat  is  my  eating."  This  is  to  signify  tlieir 
thankfulness  in  feasting  times.  When  one  supply  was 
spent,  we  fasted  till  further  success. 

The  way  they  preserve  meat  is  by  taking  the  flesh 
from  the  bones  and  drying  it  in  smoke,  l)y  which  it  is 
kept  sound  months  or  years  without  salt.  We  moved 
still  further  up  the  country  after  moose  when  our  store 
was  out,  so  that  by  the  spring  we  had  got  to  the  north- 
ward of  the  Lady  mountains.*  When  the  spring  came 
and  the  rivers  broke  up,  we  moved  back  to  the  head 
of  St.  John's  river,  and  there  made  canoes  of  moose 
hides,  sewing  three  or  four  together  and  pitching  the 
seams  with  balsam  mixed  with  charcoal.  Then  wo 
went  down  the  river  to  a  place  called  Madaiueficooh:\ 
There  an  old  man  lived  and  kept  a  sort  of  trading- 
house,  where  we  tarried  several  days ;  then  went  fur- 
ther down  the  river  till  we  came  to  the  greatest  falls 
in  these  parts,  called  Checanekepeag,  where  we  carried 
a  little  way  over  the  land,  and  putting  oflf  our  canoes, 
we  went  down  stream  still.  And  as  we  passed  down 
by  the  mouths  of  any  large  branches,  we  saw  Indians ; 
but  when  any  dance  was  proposed,  I  was  bought  off. 
At  length  we  arrived  at  the  place  where  we  left  our 
birch  canoes  in  the  fall,  and  putting  our  baggage  into 
them,  went  down  to  the  fort. 


"■'"  If  these  nre  the  snmo  tha  Frenoh  cnlled  lUontz  Notre  Dame,  our  captive  was  now  on 
the  borders  of  the  St.  Laurence,  to  the  north  of  the  head  of  the  bay  of  Chnleurs.— 
S.  6.  Dbake. 

t  Probably  the  now  well  known  Mndawnsca,  of  "  diupnt^d  territory  "  memory. 


Siran^e  Deliverances,  etc*  21 

TliiTf  We  |)laiitt'd  corn,  aiul  at'tiT  plantiiij^,  wcuL  a 
ti«liiug,  ami  to  look  for  and  dig  roots  till  tin-  corn  was 
fit  to  vvet'd.  At'tcr  wtn'ding,  we  took  a  second  tour  on 
the  sanu'  errand,  tlien  returned  to  hill  our  corn.  After 
hillincr  we  went  some  dintance  from  the  fort  clnd  field, 
up  the  river,  to  take  salmon  and  other  fish,  which  we 
dried  for  f(;od,  where  we  continued  till  roni  was  filled 
with  milk:  souv^  of  it  we  (Iried  then,  the  other  as  it 
ripened.  To  diy  corn  when  in  thr  milk,  they  gather 
it  in  lai'ge  kettles  and  boil  it  on  tin-  eai-s,  till  it  is  [)ivtty 
hard,  then  shell  it  from  the  i-ub  wilh  clam  siiells,  and 
dry  it  on  hark  in  the  sun.  When  it  is  thoroughly  dry, 
a  kernal  is  no  Kigger  than  a  pea.  and  wouM  keep  ycai's, 
and  when  it  is  boiled  again  it  swells  a-  iarii^  as  when 
on  the  ear,  and  tastes  ini-Minparaoiy  swi'i'tcr  ilian  otlu-r 
corn.  When  we  had  gathei'cil  ».<iir  ci'ni  and  dried  it 
in  the  way  aln-ady  described,  wf  jtur  ^■iiiiii'  iiiio  Indian 
barns;  that  i-^.  int<t  iiolcs  in  the  grounil.  iiufd  and 
covered  with  bark,  and  tln'ii  with  dirt.  '1  ii-'  I'^'st  we 
carried  up  the  river  upon  our  next  winter's  liunting. 

Thus  God  wonderfullv  I'avored  me,  and  carried  me 
through  the  first  year  of  my  captivity. 


CHAPTER    II. 

OF    THE    ABUSIVE    AND    BARBAROUS    TREATMENT    WHICH    SEV- 
ERAL   CAPTIVES    MET    WITH    FROM    THE    INDIANS. 

WhivX  any  great  number  of  Indians  met,  or  when 
any  captives  liad  been  lately  taken,  or  when  any  cap- 
tives desert  and  are  retaken,  tliey  have  a  dance,  and 


2  2       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures ^ 

torturt'  tlif  iitihiippy  people  vvlio  liavc  fullen  into  tlioir 
hiiiids.  My  uiilortutuito  hrotlicr,  who  was  tiiken  witli 
inc.  alter  ahout  three  years'  eaptivity,  deserted  with 
another  Kiij^lishiaan.  who  had  l)oen  taken  from  ( 'aseo 
Jiay,  and  was  retaken  by  tiie  Indians  at  New  lIarl)or, 
and  cai-ried  hack  to  Penobscot  fort.  Here  they  were 
botli  tortured  at  a  stake  by  fire,  tor  some  time;  then 
their  noses  and  ears  were  eut  off.  and  thev  made  to  eat 

» 

tliem.  After  tiiis  they  were  burnt  to  death  at  the 
stake,  tiie  Indians  at  the  same  time  dcehiring  tiiey  would 
serve  all  deserters  in  the  same  manner.  Thus  they 
divert  themselves  in  their  danees. 

On  tiie  second  spring  of  my  captivity,  my  Indian 
master  and  his  squaw  went  to  Canada,  but  sent  me 
down  the  river  with  several  Indians  to  the  fort,  to 
plant  corn.  Tiie  day  before  we  came  to  the  ])lanting 
ground,  we  met  two  young  Indian  men  who  seemed  to 
be  in  great  haste.  After  they  had  passed  us,  T  under- 
stood they  were  going  with  an  express  to  Canada,  and 
that  there  was  an  P^nglish  vessel  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  I  not  being  perfect  in  their  language,  nor  know- 
ing that  Englisii  vessels  traded  witli  them  in  tirnc  of 
war,  supposed  a  peace  was  concluded  on,  and  that  the 
captives  would  be  released.  I  was  so  transported  with 
tliis  fancy,  that  I  slept  but  little  if  any  that  night. 
Early  the  next  morning  we  came  to  the  village,  where 
my  eestacy  ended;  for  I  had  no  sooner  landed,  but 
three  or  four  Indians  dragged  me  to  the  great  wigwam, 
where  they  were  yelling  and  dancing  round  James 
Alexander,  a  Jersey  man,  who  was  taken  from  Fal- 
mouth, in  Casco  Bay.     This  was  occasioned  by  two 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  23 


t'iUiiilicH  of  Ciipf  Hiilile  Iruliiiiis,  wlm,  liuviiii^  lost  .sonu' 
t'riciuls  l>y  a  number  of  I'^ii^lisli  ti.sli<'niu;ii,  came  woino 
liuiidri'ils  of  miles  to  revoiigo  thcmsolveH  on  poor  cap- 
tives. Tli(>v  Hoon  caiiu'  to  iiU'  and  tossed  me  ahout  till 
I  was  almost  breathless,  and  then  threw  ww  into  the 
rin^  to  my  fellow  eaptivf,  and  taking  him  out  repeated 
their  liarl>arities(jn  him.  Then  I  was  hauled  out  again 
bv  three  Indians,  wlio  si'ized  me  bv  the  hair  of  the 
Ji<^ad.  and  bencbng  me  down  by  my  hair,  one  beat  me 
on  the  back  and  shouhlers  so  long  that  my  lireath  was 
ahnt)st  beat  out  of  my  body.  'riit-n  others  put  a 
linnhuh'^  | tomahawk]  into  my  hands,  and  ordereil  me 
to  gel  up  and  sing  and  tlance  Indian,  which  I  {)er- 
formed  with  the  gn-aiest  rebiclance.  and  while  in  the 
act,  seemeil  determined  to  purchase  my  death  l)y  kill- 
ing two  or  three  of  those  monsters  of  cruelty,  thinking 
it  impossible  to  survive  their  bloody  treatment ;  but  it 
was  impressed  on  my  mind  that  it  was  not  in  their 
power  to  take  away  my  life,  so  I  desisted. 

Then  those  Caj)e  Salde  Indians  came  to  me  again 
like  bears  bereaved  of  their  whelps,  saying,  "  Shall  we 
who  have  lost  relations  by  the  English,  :suffer  an  Eng- 
lish voice  to  be  heard  amonj;  us?"  ttc.  Then  thev 
beat  me  again  witli  the  axe.     Now  1  repented  that  I 


<'Thn  tnmh'iki'  is  a  wnrliko  olub,  the  slmpo  of  whii'h  in;iy  tm  (icfn  in  ciitjs  of  Krnwoii- 
KiivM,  1)110  of  tli(>  four  Iiiiliiui  cliitifs,  wliirli  cuts  iiri'  I'liiiinion  iunong  us.  (Mr.  (iylos 
refers  to  tlie  four  Innjiiois  I'liicfs  who  visited  Entjlund  iii  tin- rt'j;{ii  of  (iupeii  Aiinf. 
.Vlioiil  thosi)  I'liicfs  I  have  lollc'cti'il  nml  jiublisht'il  the  imrtieiilurs  in  the  I'.ook  of  the 
Indians.  And  I  will  here  reumrk  thiit  the  coiiipihTs  of  the  |ioiideroiiH  Indian  Hio«- 
riijiliy  lUiil  History,  now  in  eonrse  of  |>iihlic;ition  under  the  n  inies  of  James  HhII  and 
T.  \j.  .McKenny,  have  horniwol  my  hihurs  witii  no  sparing  liand— they  have  not  even 
owned  it,  havinK  no  faith,  prohably,  tliat  by  so  doin;:  they  i.iiijlit  ])ay  half  the  debt. 
"  lie  who  steals  my  purse  stenhs  trash,"  but  he  who  robs  me  of  niy  labors  •  ■:■ 
— S.  (i.  Dbakb.] 


24       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 


liiui  not  si'iit  two  or  throe  of  tli<Mu  out  of  tlie  world 
before  me,  for  I  thoiiglit  I  had  much  ratlier  die  than 
suflfer  any  longer.  They  left  nie  the  second  time,  and 
the  other  Indians  put  the  tomhake  into  uiy  liands  again 
and  compelled  me  to  sing.  Then  I  seemed  more  reso- 
lute than  before  to  destroy  some  of  them  ;  but  a  strange 
and  strong  impulse  that  I  should  return  to  ray  own 
place  and  people  supi)ressed  it  as  otbm  as  such  a  motion 
rose  in  mv  breast.  Not  one  of  them  showed  the  least 
compassion,  but  1  saw  the  tears  run  down  plentifully 
on  the  cheeks  of  a  Frenchman  who  sat  l)ehind,  though 
it  did  not  relieve  the  tortures  that  poor  James  and  I 
were  forced  to  endure  for  the  most  part  of  this  tedious 
day,  for  they  were  continued  till  the  evening,  and  were 
the  most  severe  that  ever  I  met  with  in  the  whole  six 
years  that  I  was  a  captive  with  the  Indians. 

After  thev  had  thus  inhumanlv  abused  us,  two  In- 
dians  took  us  up  and  threw  us  out  of  tlie  wigwam,  and 
we  crawled  away  on  oui'  hands  and  feet,  and  were 
scarce  able  to  walk  for  several  days.  Some  time  after 
tiiey  again  concluded  on  a  merry  dance  when  I  was  at 
some  distance  from  the  wigwaui  dressing  leather,  and 
an  Indian  was  so  kind  as  to  tell  me  that  they  had  got 
James  Ale.Kander,  and  were  in  search  for  me.  Mv 
Indian  master  and  his  squaw  l^id  me  run  for  my  life 
into  a  swamp  and  hide,  and  not  to  discover  myself 
unless  they  both  came  to  me,  for  then  T  might  be  as- 
sured the  dance  was  over.  I  was  now  master  of  their 
language,  and  a  word  or  a  wink  was  enough  to  exi.'ite 
me  to  take  care  of  one.  T  ran  to  the  swamp  and  hid  in 
:the  thickest  place  I  could  tind.     I  heard  hallooing  and 


Stra?ige  Deliverances,  etc.  25 

whooping  all  around  me;  sometiinos  some  passed  very 
near  rae,  and  T  could  hear  some  threaten  and  others 
Hatter  me,  but  I  was  not  dis})Osed  to  dance.  If  they 
had  come  upon  me,  T  had  resolved  to  show  thein  a  pair 
of  heels,  and  they  must  have  had  good  luck  to  have 
ciitched  me.  I  heard  no  more  of  them  till  about  even- 
ing, for  I  think  T  slept,  when  they  came  again,  calling, 
"  Chon  !  Chon  !"  but  John  would  not  trust  them.  After 
they  were  gone,  my  master  and  his  squaw  came  where 
they  told  me  to  hide,  but  could  not  find  me  ;  and  when 
I  heard  them  say,  with  some  concern,  thev  believed 
the  other  Indians  had  frightened  me  into  the  woods 
and  that  I  was  lost,  I  came  out,  and  they  seemed  well 
|)leased.  They  told  me  James  had  a  bad  day  of  it ; 
that  as  soon  as  he  was  released  he  ran  away  into  the 
woods,  and  they  believed  he  was  gone  to  the  Mohawks. 
James  soon  returned  and  gave  a  melancholy  account  of 
his  sufFvM'ings,  and  the  Indians  fright  concerning  the 
Mohawks.  They  often  had  terrible  apprehensions  of 
tiie  incursions  of  those  Indians.  They  are  called  also 
Maquas,  a  most  ambitious,  haughty,  and  blood-thirsty 
people,  from  whom  the  other  Indians  take  their  meas- 
ures and  manners,  and  their  modes  and  chano;es  of 
dress,  &c.  One  very  hot  season,  a  great  number  gath- 
ered together  at  the  village,  and  being  a  very  drougiity 
[thirsty]  people,  they  kept  James  and  myself  night  and 
day  fetching  water  from  a  cold  spring  that  ran  out  of 
a  rocky  hill  about  three-quarters  of  a.  mile  from  the 
fort.  In  going  thither,  we  crossed  a  large  interval 
cornfield,  and  then  a  descent  to  a  lower  interval  before 
we  ascended  the  hill  to  the  spring.  James  being  almost 
4 


26        Memoirs  of  Odd  Advejttures^ 


dead,  as  well  as  T,  with  this  continual  fatigue,  con- 
trived to  frigliten  the  Indians.  He  told  me  of  liis  plan, 
but  conjured  me  to  secrecy,  yet  said  he  knew  I  could 
keep  counsel !  Tlie  next  dark  niglit,  James,  going  for 
water,  set  his  kettle  down  on  the  descent  to  the  lowest 
interval,  and  running  hack  to  the  fort,  puffing  and  blow- 
ing as  though  in  the  utmost  surprise,  told  his  master  that 
he  saw  something  near  the  spring  that  looked  like  Mo- 
haws  (which  were  only  stumps).  His  master,  being  a 
most  courageous  warrior,  went  with  him  to  make  discov- 
ery. When  they  came  to  the  brow  of  the  hill,  James 
pointed  to  the  stumps,  and  withal  touching  his  kettle 
with  his  toe,  gave  it  motion  down  the  hill ;  at  every  turn 
its  bail  clattered,  whicli  caused  Jaifies  and  his  master  to 
see  a  Mohawk  in  every  stump,  and  they  lost  no  time 
in  "turning  tail  to,''  and  he  was  the  best  fellow  who 
could  run  the  fastest.  This  alarmed  all  the  Indians 
in  the  village.  They  were  about  thirty  or  'forty  in 
number,  and  they  packed  off,  bag  and  baggage,  some 
up  the  river  and  others  down,  and  did  not  return  under 
fifteen  days ;  and  then  the  heat  of  the  weather  being 
finally  over,  our  hard  service  was  abated  for  this  sea- 
son. I  never  heard  that  the  Indians  understood  the 
occasion  of  their  fright :  but  James  and  I  had  manv  a 
private  laugh  about  it. 

But  my  most  intimate  and  dear  companion  was  one 
John  Evans,  a  young  man  taken  from  Quochecho. 
We,  as  often  as  we  could,  met  together  and  made 
known  our  grievances  to  each  other,  which  seemed  to 
ease  our  minds ;  but  as  soon  as  it  was  known  to  the 
Indians,  we  were  strictly  examined  apart,  snd  falsely 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  27 


accused  of  cotitrivinti  to  desert.  Wo  were  too  far  from 
the  sea  to  have  any  thought  of  that,  and  finding  our 
stories  agreed,  did  not  punish  us.  An  English  captive 
girl  about  this  time,  who  was  taken  by  Medocawando, 
would  often  falsely  accuse  us  of  plotting  to  desert,  but 
we  made  tlie  truth  so  plainly  appear,  that  she  was 
checked  and  we  were  released.  But  the  third  winter 
of  my  captivity,  John  Evans  went  into  the  country, 
and  the  Indians  imposed  a  heavy  burden  on  him  while 
he  was  extremely  weak  from  long  fasting ;  and  as  he 
was  going  off"  tlie  upland  over  a  place  of  ice,  which  was 
very  hollow,  he  broke  through,  fell  down,  and  cut  his 
knee  very  much.  Notwithstanding,  he  traveled  for 
some  time,  but  the  wind  and  cold  were  so  forcible  that 
they  soon  overcame  him,  and  he  sat  or  fell  down,  and 
all  the  Indians  passed  by  him.  Some  of  them  went 
back  the  next  day,  after  him  or  his  pack,  and  found 
him,  with  a  dog  in  his  arms,  both  frozen  to  death. 
Thus  all  of  my  fellow-captives  were  dispersed  and  dead, 
but  through  infinite  and  unmerited  goodness  I  was 
supported  under  and  carried  through  all  difficulties. 


CHAPTER    III. 

OF    FURTHER    DIFFICULTIES    AND    DELIVERANCES. 

One  winter,  as  we  were  moving  from  place  to  place, 
onr  hunters  killed  some  moose.  One  lying  some  miles 
from  our  wigwams,  a  young  Indian  and  myself  were 
ordered  to  fetch  part  of  it.  We  set  out  in  the  morn- 
ing, wlien  the  weather  was  promising,  but  it  proved  a 


2  8       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures ^ 


very  cold,  cloudy  day.  It  was  late  in  the  evening 
before  we  arrived  at  the  place  where  the  moose  lay,  ho 
that  we  had  no  time  to  provide  materials  for  fire  or 
shelter.  At  tlie  same  time  came  on  a  storm  of  snow, 
very  thick,  which  continued  until  the  next  morning. 
We  made  a  small  fire  with  what  little  rubbish  we  could 
find  around  us.  The  fire,  with  the  warmth  of  our 
bodies,  melted  tlie  snow  upon  us  as  fast  as  it  fell,  and 
so  our  clothes  were  filled  with  water.  However,  early 
in  the  morning  we  took  our  loads  of  moose  flesh,  and 
set  out  on  our  return  to  our  wigwams.  We  had  not 
gone  far  before  ray  moose-skin  coat  (which  was  the  only 
garment  I  had  on  my  back,  and  the  hair  chiefly  worn 
oflf),  was  frozen  stiff  round  my  knees  \ive  a  hoop,  as 
were  my  snow-shoes  and  snow-clouts  to  my  feet.  Thus 
I  marched  the  whole  day  without  fire  or  food.  At  first 
T  was  in  great  pain,  then  my  flesh  became  numb,  and 
at  times  I  felt  extremely  sick,  and  thought  I  could  not 
travel  one  foot  further,  but  I  wonderfully  revived  again. 
After  long  traveling  I  felt  very  drowsy,  and  had 
thoughts  of  sitting  down,  which  had  I  done,  without 
doubt  I  had  fallen  on  my  last  sleep,  as  my  dear  com- 
panion, Evans,  had  done  before.  My  Indian  compan- 
ion, being  better  clothed,  had  left  me  long  before. 
Again  m}^  spirits  revived  as  much  as  if  I  had  received 
the  richest  cordial.  Some  hours  after  sunset  T  reached 
the  wigwam,  and  crawling  in  with  my  snow-shoes  on, 
the  Indians  cried  out,  "  The  captive  is  frozen  to  death." 
They  took  off  my  pack,  and  the  place  where  they  lay 
against  my  back  was  the  only  one  that  was  not  frozen. 
They  cut  off  my  snow  shoes  and  stripped  off"  the  clouts 


Strafige  Deliver a?ices^  etc,  29 


from  !ny  feet,  which  were  as  void  of  fooling  as  any 
frozen  Hosli  could  Ix'.  I  had  not  sat  long  by  the  fire 
before  the  blood  began  to  circulate,  and  my  feet  to  my 
ankles  turned  black,  I  swelled  with  bloody  blisters, 
and  were  inexpressibl\  painful.  The  Indians  said  one 
to  another,  "  His  feet  will  rot  and  he  will  die.'  Yet 
I  slept  well  at  night.  Soon  after,  the  skin  came  off  my 
feet  from  my  ankles,  whole,  like  a  shoe,  leaving  my  toes 
naked  without  a  nail,  and  the  ends  of  my  great  toe 
bones  bare,  wljich,  in  a  little  time  turned  black,  so  that 
I  was  obliged  to  cut  the  first  joint  off  with  my  knife. 
The  Indians  gave  me  rags  to  bind  up  my  feet,  and 
advised  me  to  apply  fir  balsam,  but  withal  added  that 
they  believed  it  was  not  worth  while  to  use  means,  for 
I  should  certainly  die.  But,  by  the  use  of  my  elbows 
and  a  stick  in  each  hand,  I  shoved  myself  along  as  I 
sat  upon  the  ground  over  the  snow  from  one  tree  to 
another,  till  I  got  some  balsam.  This  I  burned  in  a 
clam-shell  till  it  was  of  a  consistence  like  salve,  which 
I  applied  to  my  feet  and  ankles,  and,  by  the  divine 
blessing,  within  a  week  I  could  go  about  upon  my  heels 
with  my  staff.  And,  through  God's  goodness,  we  had 
provisions  enough,  so  that  we  did  not  remove  under 
ten  or  fifteen  days.  Then  the  Indians  made  two  little 
hoops,  something  in  the  form  of  a  snow-shoe,  and  sew- 
ing them  to  my  feet,  I  was  able  to  follow  them  in  their 
tracks,  on  my  heels,  from  place  to  place,  though  some- 
times half  leg  deep  in  snow  and  water,  which  gave  me 
the  most  acute  pain  imaginable ;  but  I  must  walk  or 
die.  Yet  within  a  year  my  feet  were  entirely  well  • 
and  the  nails  came  on  my  great  toes,  so  that  a  very 


30       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures ^ 


critical  cyo  could  scarcely  perceive  any  part  missing, 
or  that  they  had  been  frozen  at  all. 

In  a  time  of  great  scarcity  of  provisions,  the  Indians 
chased  a  large  moose  into  the  river,  and  killed  him. 
They  brought  the  flesh  to  the  village  and  raised  it  on 
a  scaffold,  in  a  large  wigwam,  in  order  to  make  a  feast. 
I  was  very  officious  in  supplying  them  with  wood  and 
water,  which  pleased  them  so  well  that  they  now  and 
then  gave  me  a  piece  of  flesh  half  boiled  or  roasted, 
which  I  ate  with  eagerness,  and  I  doubt  not  without 
due  thankfulness  to  the  divine  Beinct  who  so  extraor- 
dinarily  fed  me.  At  length  the  scaffold  bearing  the 
moose  meat  broke,  and  I  being  under  it,  a  large  piece 
fell  and  knocked  me  on  the  head.*  The  Indians  said 
I  lay  stunned  a  considerable  time.  The  first  I  was 
sensible  of,  was  a  murmuring  noise  in  my  ears,  tlien 
my  sight  gradually  returned,  with  an  extreme  pain  in 
my  hand,  which  was  very  much  bruised;  and  it  was 
long  before  I  recovered,  the  weather  being  very  hot. 

I  was  once  fishing  with  an  Indian  for  sturgeon,  and 
the  Indian  darting  orie,  his  feet  slipped,  and  he  turned 
the  canoe  bottom  upward  with  me  under  it.  I  held 
fast  to  the  cross-bar,  as  I  could  not  swim,  with  my 
face  to  the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  but  turning  myself,  I 
brought  my  breast  to  bear  on  the  cross-bar,  expecting 
every  minute  the  I.ndian  to  tow  me  to  the  bank.  But 
"  he  had  other  fish  to  fry."  Thus  I  continued  a  quar- 
ter of  aa  hour,  [though]  without  want  of  breath,  till 


<■  Whether  be  ware   truck  by  a  timber  of  the  .sciitTold,  or  a  quantity  of  the  meat  ouit,. 
we  are  aBfttDicojyeGture,  .ani}  it  .is  npt  v<jry  material:— S.  G.  Dhake 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  31 


tlie  current  drove  me  on  a  rocky  point  where  I  could 
reacli  bottom.  There  T  stopped  and  turned  up  my  ciinoe. 
On  looking  about  for  tlie  Indian,  I  saw  him  half  a  mile 
off  up  tlie  river.  On  going  to  him,  I  asked  him  why 
he  had  not  towed  me  to  the  bank,  seeing  he  knew  I 
could  not  swim,  lie  said  he  knew  I  was  under  the 
canoe,  for  there  were  no  bubbles  any  where  to  be  seen, 
and  that  I  should  drive  on  the  point.  So  while  he  was 
taking  care  of  his  fine  sturgeon,  which  was  eight  or  ten 
feet  in  lenLjth,  I  was  left  to  sink  or  swim. 

Once,  as  we  were  fishing  for  salmon  at  a  fall  of  about 
fifteen  feet  of  water,  I  came  near  being  drownded  in  a 
deep  liole  at  the  foot  of  the  fall.  The  Indians  went 
into  the  water  to  wash  themselves,  and  asked  me  to 
go  with  them.  I  told  them  I  could  not  swim,  but  they 
insisted,  and  so  I  went  in.  They  ordered  me  to  dive 
across  the  deepest  place,  and  if  I  fell  short  of  the  other 
side  they  said  they  would  help  me.  But,  instead  of 
•diving  across  the  narrowest  part,  I  was  crawling  on 
the  bottom  into  the  deepest  place.  They  not  seeing  me 
rise,  and  knowing  whereabouts  I  was  by  the  bubbling 
of  the  water,  a  young  girl  dived  down  and  brought  me 
up  by  the  hair,  otherwise  I  had  perished  ii  the  water. 
Though  the  Indians,  both  male  and  female,  go  into  the 
water  together,  they  have  each  of  them  such  covering 
on  that  not  the  least  indecency  can  be  observed,  and 
■neither  chastity  nor  modesty  is  violated. 

While  at  the  Indian  village,  I  had  been  cutting 
wood  and  binding  it  up  with  an  Indian  rope,  in  order 
to  carry  it  to  the  wigwam,  a  stout,  ill-natured  young 
fellow,  about  twenty  years  of  age,  threw  me  backward, 


3  2        Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 


sat  on  my  breast,  pulled  out  liis  knife,  and  said  he 
would  kill  me,  for  he  had  never  yet  killed  one  of  the 
English.  I  told  him  he  might  go  to  war,  and  that 
would  he  more  manly  than  to  kill  a  poor  eaptive  who 
was  doing  their  drudgery  for  them.  Notwithstanding 
all  I  could  say,  he  began  to  cut  and  stab  me  on  my 
breast.  I  seized  him  l)y  the  hair,  and  tumbling  him 
off  of  me,  followed  him  with  my  fists  and  knee  with 
such  application  that  he  soon  cried  "  enough."  But 
when  I  saw  the  blood  run  from  my  bosom,  and  felt  the 
smart  of  the  wounds  he  had  given  me,  1  at  him  again, 
and  bid  him  get  up  and  not  lie  there  like  a  dog :  told 
him  of  his  former  abuses  oflTered  to  me  and  other  poor 
captives,  and  that  if  ever  he  offered  the  like  to  me 
again,  I  would  pay  him  double.  I  sent  him  before  me, 
and  taking  up  my  burden  of  wood,  came  to  the  Indians 
and  told  them  the  whole  truth,  and  they  commended 
me.  And  I  do  not  remember  that  ever  he  offered  me 
the  least  abuse  afterwards,  though  he  was  big  enough 
to  have  despatched  two  of  me. 


CHAPTER    IV 


OF    REMARKABLE     EVENTS     OF    PROVIDENCE    IN     THE    DEATHS 
OF    SEVERAL    BARBAROUS    INDIANS. 

The  priest  of  this  river  was  of  the  order  of  Saint 
Francis,  a  gentleman  of  a  humane  and  generous  dispo- 
sition. In  his  sermons  he  most  severely  reprehended 
the  Indians  for  their  barbarities  to  captives.  He  would 
often  tell  them  that,  excepting  their  errors  in  religion, 


Strange  Deliverances,  etc,  33 

the  I'liigliwh  were  a  IcttiT  |»L'ii|>lr  tliaii  tlu'iiiscKn's,  ami 
tluitGotl  would  rciiiarkaltly  |»niiisli  such  ciiU'l  wretches, 
ami  laul  Itcguii  to  cxcculf  his  Ncutrcaucc  upon  such 
ah'eady  !  llf  u'ave  an  accduiit  of  the  rdahatioiis  ol' 
I'rovich^iicc  ujioii  those  inurdei'ous  ( 'a|>e  Sahle  Indians 
above  nu'iitiout'd.  one  of  whom  L''>t  a  sphnter  into  his 
foot,  which  festered  and  rotted  his  fle.sli  till  it  killed 
liiiM.  Aiiotln'i'  I'Uti  a  fish-hone  into  her  hand  or  arm. 
and  she  rotted  to  death,  notwithstandiuL' all  means  that 
W(M'e  used  to  prevent  it.  In  some  such  manner  tliev 
all  died,  so  that  not  one  of  those  two  families  lived  to 
return  home.'''  Were  it  not  for  these  remarks  of  \\\v 
priest,  I  had  not.  perhaps,  have  notieed  these  provi- 
dences. 

There  \\a>  an  old  s^juaw  who  ever  endeavored  to 
outdo  all  others  in  cruelty  to  ca|)tives.  AVherever  she 
came  into  a  wit!;wam,  where  any  poor,  naked,  starved 
captives  were  sitting  near  the  lire,  if  they  were  grown 
persons,  she  would  stealthily  take  up  a  shovel  of  hot 
coals  and  throw  them  into  their  bo.soms.  If  they  wen^ 
voutiii'  persons,  she  would  seize  them  bv  the  hand  or 
leg,  drag  them  through  the  tire,  etc.  The  Indians  with 
whom  she  lived,  according  to  their  custom,  left  their 
village  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  and  dispersed  themselves 
tor  hunting.  After  the  first  or  second  removal,  they 
all  strang(dy  forgot  that  old  squaw  and  her  grandson, 
about  twelve  vears  of  aoje.  Thev  were  found  dead  in 
the  place  where  they  were  left,  some  months  afterwards, 


'•'  Ixi'terenco  i.i  prolmbly  liml  to  tliose  IinliiiUM  otHlioin  tho  aiitlior  Iuin  liol'ore  .s|>okeii 
lis  Imving  Cdiuo  to  iIk-  fort  of  those  with  wlioiii  ho  was  lunotig,  to  he  rovenf^cil  on  iiny 
whites  for  the  hiss  of  some  of  their  frieiuls  who  hiul  hceii  kilh'il  hy  white  fislienneii. 

— S.  It.  riRAKF. 

5 


34       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 

!Ui(l    no   lurtlicr   iiotici'    was   laUcii    of    tli  'in    liy   llifir 
iViciids.     ( )|' this  \\\v  j)i'iest  made  special  reiiai'k,  I'onis 
iiiucli  as  it  is  a  lliiiiu;  very  uiieoiiiinoii   tor  tliciii   to  lie 
gleet  either  their  old  or  young  people. 

Ill  the  latter  part  of  siiiiiiiier  or  liegiiiiiiiigot'aiitmiiii. 
the  Indians  wore  Ireipiently  iVighlened  hy  the  appear- 
ance ol' strange  Indians  passing  up  and  down  this  river 
in  canocH.  aiul  ahout  that  time  tiie  next  year  died  niuri- 
than  one  hundreil  persons,  old  and  young,  all.  or  most 
ol"  those  who  saw  those  sti'angi'  Indians!  Tlie  priest 
said  it  was  a  sort  of  plague.  .\  person  seeming  in  per- 
fect health  would  hlei'd  al  tlii'  mouth  and  nose,  turn 
hliu'  in  s[»ots,  and  die  in  two  or  three  hours. '^'  It  was 
very  tedi(jus  to  me  to  reiiio\'e  tVoiii  place  to  i)laee  tiiis 
cold  season.  The  Indians  applied  red  ochre  to  my 
sore.s  [which  had  heen  ocaunoned  hy  the  atfra}'  hefore 
uientioned],  which  hy  <iods  blessing  cured  me.  This 
sickness  being  at  the  worst  as  winter  came  on.  the 
Indiana  all  scattered,  and  the  blow  was  so  great  to 
thenj,  that  they  did  not  settle  or  plant  at  their  village 
while  I  was  on  the  river  [8t.  .lohus|,  and  I  know  not 
whether  they  have  to  this  day.  Before  they  thus 
deserted  the  village,  when  they  eanie  in  from  hunting, 
they  would  be  drunk  and  light  for  several  days  and 
nights  together,  till  they  had  spent  most  of  their  skins 
in  wine  and  brandy,  which  was  brought  to  the  village 
by  a  Frenchman  called  Monsieur  'Siijenioiicour. 


'^C'liliiliiitoiis  ini>t'tiilili<'?<  iii'o  ol'tcii  iiii'iitiiiiii'd  ns  liiipiu'iiin;;  niiiiiii<;  tlii'  lii>liiiiis,  lint 
tliiit  tlio  iipiH'iiniucc  cit'  stiiinjii'  IihMmus  liiul  iiiivtliinu  to  iln  with  it,  will  only  I'xcitr 
iicliiilriitliiu  to  the  piilij:hteiioil  of  this  ;i;;r.  It  wii-  Ky  ii  iiioit.ility  soiiictliiiiii  siiiiiliir 
(hat  thi-  iMiiiiitry  iilioiit  tlic  const  of  Miissiirliiisctts  whs  iiciirly  ilciioiniliitcil  two  or  three 
vem-s  hefoie  the  settlement  of  Plviuoiith.— S,  li.  Ihiakk. 


Stra/tgc  Deliverances^  eic,  "i^^ 


C  H  A  F  I"  E  R    V  . 

OK      THKIR     KAMIMAKIIY    WITH,    AN'I)     KKKiH  IS     KRt)M,     THK 

l)i:VII,,    KTC. 

Till'.  Iiidiiuis  ar*'  vtTV  ot'tfii  surpriscil  with  tin-  ap- 
pearaiict'  of  n-liosts  and  di'iiioiis.  f^onictiiiK's  they  arr 
('ii('uui'au;t'(|  l(v  tlio  devil,  lor  tlu'V  y;o  to  liiiu  lor  success 
ill  limitiiiii'.  iV'i'.  I  was  once  luiiitiiiu;  with  Indians  who 
were  not  hroULdit  over  to  the  Hotnish  I'aitli,  and  after 
several  days  they  proposed  to  iiKjiiire,  according:;  to 
their  custom,  what  succress  they  should  have.  They 
accordinu'lv  prepared  inanv  hot  stones,  and  laviuii  them 
in  a  hea[),  maile  a  small  hut  covered  with  skins  and 
mats;  theii,  in  a  dark  night  two  of  the  powwows  went 
into  this  hot  house  with  a  large  vessel  of  water,  which 
at  times  tiiey  poured  on  those  hot  rocks,  whicli  raised 
a  thick  steam,  so  that  a  third  Indian  was  obliged  to 
stand  without,  and  lift  up  a  mat  to  give  it  vent  when 
tliey  were  almost  suttboated.  There  was  an  old  s(iuaw 
who  was  kind  to  captives,  and  never  joined  with  them 
in  their  powwowing,  to  whom  I  manifested  an  earnest 
desire  to  see  their  management.  She  told  me  that  if 
they  knew  of  my  being  there  they  would  kill  nie,  and 
that  when  she  was  a  girl  she  had  known  young  persons 
to  be  taken  away  by  a  hairy  man,  and  therefore  she 
would  not  advise  me  to  go,  lest  the  hairy  man  should 
carrv  me  awav.  1  told  her  I  was  not  afraid  of  the 
luiirv   man,  nor  could  he   hurt  me  if  she  would   not 


]()        Mi'fioirs  of  Odd  Advcfiturcs^ 

(liisi'over  inc  to  the  powwows.     At  lt'ii*,'tli  she  proiiiiscd 

liir  slic  wollM  Hot.  liilt  fliai''j;i'il  me  lo  lie  Ciircl'ul  III' 
iiiyM'll".  I  Weill  witliiii  tliiT"'  or  tour  t'i'cl  u{  tlir  hot 
lioiisc,  fin'  il  wiis  \ci'v  <\\\\\\.  iiiid  lii'iird  ^tnui<j.'('  iioincs 
uiid  yclliiigs,  siic|i  ;is  I  iu'ViT  iii'ai'd  licfoi't-.  At  tiiiK'H 
tlie  Indian  wlio  tfmlfd  without  would  hl"t  u|>  the  mat. 
and  a  steam  would  issue  which  looked  like  tire.  1  hiy 
ihei'e  two  or  three  liours.  liiit  saw  none  nl'  their  hairy 
men  or  demons.  And  when  I  I'ound  they  had  tiiiished 
their  fi-remony,  1  Went  to  the  wigwam  and  lold  the 
s((uaw  what  had  jtasscd.  She  was  i.dad  I  hail  escaped 
without  hurt,  and  never  discovered  what  I  hiid  done. 
Alter  Home  time  inquiry  was  made  of  the  powwows 
what  success  We  Were  likely  to  liave  in  (tur  hunting. 
They  said  they  had  very  likely  siens  ot' sut-cess,  hut  no 
I'eal  ones  as  at  othei'  times.  A  few  days  alter,  we 
moved  up  the  J'iver  and  had  pri'tty  g(jod  luck. 

One  afternoon  as  1  was  in  a  canoe  with  one  of  the 
powwows,  the  dou'  hai'kiMJ.  and  prescMitly  a  moose 
passed  by  within  u  few  rods  of  us.  so  that  the  waves 
he  made  l»y  wading  rolled  our  canoe.  The  hulian 
HJiot  at  him,  hut  the  moos*;  took  very  little  notice  of  it, 
and  went  into  tlie  woods  to  the  southward.  The  fel- 
low said,  "  I  will  try  if  I  cant  fetch  you  back  tor  all 
your  haste."  The  evening  following  we  built  our  two 
wigwams  on  a  sandy  point  on  the  upper  end  of  an 
island  in  the  river,  northwest  of  the  place  where  the 
moose  went  into  the  woods,  and  here  the  Indian  pow- 
wowed the  greatest  part  of  the  inglit  following.  In 
the  morning  we  had  a  fair  track  of  a  moose  round  our 
wigwams,  though  we  did  not  see  or  taste  of  it.    .  L  um 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc*  37 


of  opiiiiuii  iliat  till"  devil  was  jK'niiitt('(|  to  liimiortlio.se 
imlia|»|>y  wretches  soinotiiiies,  in  some  things.'" 

That  it  may  appear  how  miicli  they  were  dehnled, 
or  under  the  illlhleliee  of  sataii,  I'ead  the  two  stories 
which  Were  rehited  and  heheved  by  the  Indiajis.  The 
first,  of  a  hoy  who  was  cai'ried  away  hy  u  hirge  liii'd 
caHed  a  (Inlliymi,  who  huildcth  his  nest  on  a  high  rock 
or  mountain.  A  hoy  was  hunting  with  his  how  and 
arrow  at  the  foot  of  a  rocky  mountain,  when  the  gul- 
louii  came  diving  througli  the  air.  grasped  the  boy  in 
lior  talons,  and  altliough  he  was  eight  or  ten  years  of 
age,  she  8f)ared  ahjft  and  hiid  liini  in  her  nest,  food  lor 
her  young.  The  hoy  lay  still  on  his  face,  but  observed 
two  of  the  young  birds  in  the  nest  with  him  having 
nuich  lish  and  tiesh  to  feed  upon.  The  <dd  bird  seeing 
they  would  not  eat  the  boy,  took  him  up  in  lier  claws 
and  returned  him  to  the  place  from  whence  she  took 
him.  1  liave  passed  near  the  mountain  in  a  canoe, 
and  the  Indians  have  said,  "There  is  th(>  nest  of  the 
great  bird  that  carried  away  the  boy."  Indeed,  there 
seemed  to  be  a  great  nundjer  of  sticks  put  together  like 
a  nest,  on  the  top  of  the  mountain.  At  another  time 
thev  said,  "  There  is  the  bird,  hut  lie  is  now  as  a  bov 
to  a  mant  to  what  he  was  in  former  days."  Th(>  bird 
which'  we  saw  was  a  large  and  speckled  one,  like  an 
eagle,  though  somewhat  larger.-)* 

'■'  \Vli;il('Vcr  lilt'  liiiliiiii.-<  iiiiKlit  have  Iji'licvcil  iiluiiit  the  ilcvil,  mn'  tiling  is  pretty 
clfiii,  timt   mil' ciiptivf   liml   u'liMt  lUitli  in  his  nliihtics.    (^iiite  us  cnsv  n  wiiv  to  hiivc 

II iiiiti'd  lof  iiKiiisp  tnicUtt  nbiiiit  their  wiKHiiin,  woiihl  Imve  lieiti  to  siijiliiist'  that  Ilmt 

niiiiniil  liii«ht  hiive  lieeii  iittriicted    liy  the  iiin'iHllli   iinise  dI'  the  |i(i«hciw  t(i  a]i|irunch 
them  for  the  dhjeet  of  iliseoverv.     It  is  very  eomtiion  for  wild  anliiuUs  to  do  so.— S.  (i. 

J>IIAKK. 

fNot  exaetly  a  (is//  utoiii,  Imt  it  is  eertaiiily  a  hinl  nlon/,  ami  although  .Mr.  (iyU-s  has 


3  8       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 


When  from  tho  mountain  tops,  with  hidoous  cry 

And  clattering  wings,  the  hungry  h.irpies  l!y, 

They  sniitclied  *  it  *  * 

*        *        And  whether  gods  or  birds  obscene  tliey  were, 

Our  vows  tor  pardon  and  for  peace  prefer. 

Dryden's  Viugii.. 

The  other  notion  is,  that  a  young  Indian  in  his  iiunt- 
ing,  was  belated,  and  losing  his  way,  was  on  a  sudden 
introduced  to  a  large  wigwam  full  of  dried  eels,  which 
proved  to  be  a  beaver's  house,  in  which  he  lived  till' 
the  spring  of  the  year,  when  he  was  turned  out  of  the 
house,  and  being  set  upon  a  beaver's  dam,  went  home 
and  related  the  affair  to  his  friends  at  large. 


CHAPTER    VI 


A    DESCRIPTION    OF    SEVERAL     CREATURES    COMMONLY    TAKEN 
BY    THE    INDIAi'IS    ON    ST.    JOHN's    RIVER. 

I.  Of  the  Beaver. — The  beaver  has  a  very  thick, 
strong  neck  ;  his  fore  teeth,  which  are  two  in  the  upper 
and  two  in  the  under  jaw,  are  concave  and  sharp  like 
a  carpenter's  gouge.  Their  side  teeth  are  like  a  sheep's, 
for  they  chew  the  cud.  Their  legs  are  short,  the  claws 
something  longer  than  in  other  creatures.  The  nails 
on  the  toes  of  their  hind  feet  are  flat  like  an  ape's,  but 
joined  together  by  a  membrane,  as  those  of  the  water- 
fowl, their  tails  broad  and  flat  like  the  broad  end  of  a 
paddle.     Near  their  tails  they  have  four  bottles,  two 


fortified  himsolf  lichimi  "  lipliovcil  by  the  Iinliiitis,"  yet  I  fear  his  reimtation  for  cre- 
dulity will  lie  somewhat  eiihaneed  in  the  mind  of  the  render.  I  think,  however,  it 
mhoiild  not  deroKiite  from  his  ehiiriKitor  for  veracity. — S.  O.  Drake. 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  39 


of  which  contain  oil,  the  others  gum  ;  the  necks  of 
these  meet  in  one  common  orifice.  The  h\tter  of  tliese 
bottles  contain  the  proper  castorum,  and  not  the  testi- 
cles, as  some  have  fancied,  for  they  are  distinct  and 
separate  from  them,  in  the  males  only ;  whereas  the 
castorum  and  oil  bottles  are  common  to  male  and  fe- 
male. With  this  oil  and  gum  they  preen  themselves, 
so  that  when  they  come  out  of  the  water  it  runs  off  of 
them  as  it  does  from  a  fowl.  Thev  have  four  teats, 
which  are  on  their  breasts,  so  that  they  hug  up  their 
young  and  suckle  them  as  women  do  their  infants. 
They  have  generally  two,  and  sometimes  four  in  a 
litter.  1  have  seen  seven  or  five  in  the  matrix,  but 
the  Indians  think  it  a  strange  thing  to  find  so  many  in 
a  litter ;  and  they  assert  that  when  it  so  happens,  the 
darn  kills  all  but  four.  They  are  the  most  laborious 
creatures  that  I  have  met  with.  I  have  known  them 
to  build  dams  across  a  river  thirty  or  forty  perches 
wid(^  with  wood  and  mud,  so  as  to  flow  many  acres  of 
land.  In  the  deepest  part  of  a  pond  so  raised,  they  build 
their  houses,  round,  in  the  figure  of  an  Indian  wigwam, 
eight  or  ten  feet  high,  and  six  or  eight  in  diameter  on 
the  floor,  which  is  made  descending  to  the  water,  the 
parts  near  the  centre  about  four,  and  near  the  circum- 
ference, between  ten  and  twenty  inches  above  the 
water.  T^hese  floors  are  covered  with  strippings  of 
wood,  like  shavings.  On  these  they  sleep  with  their 
tails  in  the  water;"'  and  if  the  freshets  rise,  they  have 

'■'  I  ri'eollpi't  to  Imvo  seen  a  siinilnr  stiitoniont  by  that  singular  nonius,  Thomas  Mor- 
ton, of  M.ire  Mount,  in  his  more  singular  hook,  New  English  Canaan,  aliout  beavers 
keeping  their  tails  in  the  water.  Morton,  however,  tells  us  the  reason  they  do  so,  viz: 
"wliieh  else  wouM  overheat  and  rot  ot!'."— S.  ^^.  Drakf. 


40     •  Memoirs  of  Odd  Adve?ttures^ 

tlu.'  udvaiita*!;e  ot"  risiiiy;  on  their  floor  to  the  hii^hest 
part.  They  feed  on  the  leaves  and  bark  of  trees,  and 
pond-lily  roots.  In  the  fall  of  the  year  they  lay  in 
their  provision  for  the  approaching  winter,  entting 
down  trees  y-reat  and  small.  With  one  end  in  their 
mouths  they  drag  their  branches  near  to  their  liouse, 
and  sink  many  cords  of  it.  (They  will  cut  [gnaw J 
down  trees  of  a  fathom  in  circumference.)  They  ]iavr> 
doors  to  go  down  to  the  wood  under  the  ice.  And  in 
case  the  fresliets  rise,  break  down  and  carrv  off  their 
store  of  wood,  they  often  stance.  They  have  a  note 
for  conversing,  calling,  and  warning  each  other  when 
at  work  or  feeding;  and  while  they  are  at  labor  they 
keep  out  a  guard,  who,  upon  the  first  apjiroach  of  an 
enemy,  so  strikes  the  water  with  his  tail  that  he  may 
be  heard  half  a  mile.  This  so  alarms  the  rest  that 
they  are  all  silent,  quit  their  labor,  and  are  to  be  seen 
no  more  for  that  time.  If  the  male  or  female  die,  the 
survivor  seeks  a  mate  and  conducts  him  or  her  to  their 
house,  and  carry  on  affairs  as  above. 

II.  Of  the  Wolverene.  [GvJo  Luseus  of  L.]  The 
wolverene  is  a  very  fierce  and  mischievous  creature, 
about  the  bigness  of  a  middling  dog,  having  short  legs, 
broad  feet,  and  very  sharp  claws,  and  in  my  opinion 
may  be  reckoned  a  species  of  cat.  They  will  climb 
trees  and  wait  for  moose  and  other  animals  which  feed 
below,  and  when  opportunity  presents,  jump  upon  and 
strike  their  claws  in  them  so  fast  that  they  will  hang 
on  them  till  they  have  gnawed  the  main  nerve  in  their 
neck  asunder,  which  causes  their  death.  1  have  known 
many  moose  killed  thus.     I  was  once  traveling  a  little 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,    • .    41 


way  behind  severul  Tiulians,  and  liearing  tliein  laiigli 
merrily,  when  I  came  up  I  asked  them  tlie  cause  of 
their  laughter.  They  showed  me  the  track  of  a  moose, 
and  now  a  wolverene  had  climbed  a  tree,  and  where 
he  hiid  jumped  od"  upon  a.  moose.  Tt  so  happened, 
that  after  the  moose  had  taken  several  large  leaps,  it 
came  under  the  branch  of  a  tree,  which  striking  the 
wolverene,  broke  his  hold  and  tore  him  off;  and  by  his 
tracks  in  the  snow  it  appeared  he  we.nt  off  another 
way,  with  short  steps,  as  if  he  had  been  stunned  by 
the  blow  that  had  broken  his  hold.  The  Indians  im- 
puted the  accident  to  the  cunning  of  the  moose,  and 
were  wonderfully  pleased  that  it  had  thus  outwitted 
the  mischievous  wolverene. 

These  wolverenes  go  into  wigwams  which  have  been 
left  for  a  time,  scatter  the  things  abroad,  and  most 
filthily  pollute  them  with  ordure.  I  have  heard  the 
Indians  say  that  this  animal  has  sometimes  pulled  their 
guns  from  under  their  heads  while  they  were  asleep, 
and  left  them  so  defiled.  An  Indian  told  me  that  hav- 
ing left  his  wigwam,  with  sundry  things  on  the  scaf- 
fold, among  which  was  a  birchen  liask  containing  sev- 
eral pounds  of  powder,  he  found  at  his  return,  much  to 
his  surprise  and  grief,  that  a  wolverene  had  visited  it, 
mou'.;Led  the  scaffold,  hove  down  bag  and  baggage. 
The  powder  flask  happening  to  fall  into  the  fire,  ex- 
ploded, blowing  up  the  wolverene,  and  scattering  the 
wigwam  in  all  directions.  At  length  he  found  the 
creature,  blind  from  the  blast,  wandering  backward 
and  forward,  and  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  kicking  and 
beating  him  about.  This,  in  a  great  measure,  made 
6 


42        Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures ^ 


up  their  Iosh,  aiul  tluiii  tlicy  t-ould  coiiteiitetlly  pick  U[> 
tlieir  utensils  and  rig  out  their  wiuwaiu. 

IJI.  Of  the  HedgeliO(i  {Histrii:  Dornafa\,()r  Urchin 
I  LJrHoiif]  Our  lieclgehog,  or  urehin,  is  about  tlio  big- 
ness of  a  hog  six  months  old.  His  back,  sides,  and 
tail  are  full  of  sharp  quills,  so  that  if  any  creature  ap- 
proach him,  he  will  contract  himself  into  a  globular 
form,  and  when  touciied  by  his  enemy,  his  (juills  are 
so  sharp  and  loose  in  the  skin  they  fix  in  the  mouth  of 
the  adversary.  They  will  strike  with  great  force  with 
their  tails,  so  that  whatever  falls  under  the  lash  of  them 
are  certainly  tilled  with  their  prickles  ;  but  that  they 
shoot  their  quills,  as  some  assert  they  do.  is  a  great 
mistake,  as  respects  the  American  hedgehog,  and  1 
believe  as  to  the  African  hedgehog  or  porcupine,  also. 
As  to  the  former.  T  have  taken  them  at  all  seasons  ol" 
the  year. 

IV.  Of  the  Tortoise.  it  is  needless  to  describ*'  1 1  if 
fresh- water  tortoise,  whose  form  is  so  well  known  in  all 
parts  ;  but  their  manner  of  propagating  their  species  is 
not  so  universally  known.  I  have  observed  that  sort 
of  tortoise  whose  shell  is  about  fourteen  or  sixteen 
inches  wide.  In  their  coition  they  may  be  heard  half 
a  mile,  making  a  noise  like  a  woman  washinij  her  linen 
with  a  batting  stafF.  They  lay  their  eggs  in  the  sand, 
near  some  deep,  still  water,  about  a  foot  beneath  tlu; 
surface  of  the  sand,  with  which  they  are  very  curious  in 
covering  them  ;  so  that  there  is  not  the  least  mixture  of 
it  amongst  them,  nor  the  least  rising  of  sand  on  the 
beach  where  they  are  deposited.  I  have  often  searched 
for  them  with  the  Indians,  by  thrusting  a  stick  into  the 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  43 


00 


aaiul  at  random,  and  brought  up  sonu'  part  ol'  an  og^ 
(dinging  to  it :  when  uncovering  the  place,  wo  have  found 
near  one  hundred  and  iit'ty  in  one  nest.  Both  their  eggs 
and  flesh  are  good  eating  when  boiled.  I  have  observed 
a  difference  as  to  the  length  of  time  in  which  they  are 
hatching,  which  is  between  twenty  and  tliirty  days, 
some  sooner  than  others.  Whether  this  difference 
ought  to  be  imputed  to  the  various  quality  or  site  of 
the  sand  in  which  they  are  laid  (as  to  the  degree  of 
cold  or  heat),  I  leave  to  the  conjecture  of  the  virtuosi. 
As  soon  as  they  are  hatched,  the  young  tortoise  breaks 
through  the  sand  and  betake  themselves  to  the  water, 
anil,  as  far  as  I  could  discover,  without  any  further 
care  or  help  of  the  old  ones. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

OK    THEIR     FEASTING. 

I .  Hejorr  tkei/  (jo  to  war.  When  the  Indians  de- 
termine on  war,  or  are  entering  on  a  particular  expe- 
dition, they  kill  a  number  of  their  dogs,  burn  oil'  the 
hair,  and  cut  them  to  pieces,  leaving  only  one  dogs 
head  whole.  The  rest  of  the  flesh  they  boil,  and  make 
a  fine  feast  of  it.  Then  the  dog's  head  that  was  left 
whole  is  scorched  ti)l  the  nose  and  lips  have  shrunk 
from  the  teeth,  leaving  them  bare  and  grinning.  This 
done,  they  fasten  it  01;  a  stick,  and  the  Indian  who  is 
proposed  to  be  chief  in  the  expedition,  takes  the  head 
into  his  hand  and  sings  a  warlike  song,  in  which  he 
mentions  the  town  they  design  to  attack,  and  the  prin- 


44       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 


cipal  man  in  it,  threatening  tliat  in  a  few  days  he  will 
carry  that  man's  head  and  scalp  in  liis  hand  in  the 
same  manner.  When  the  chief  has  finished  singing, 
he  so  places  the  dog's  liead  as  to  grin  at  him  who  he 
snpposes  will  go  his  second,  who,  if  he  accepts,  tak(>s 
the  head  in  his  hand  and  sings;  l.tnt  if  he  refuses  to  go 
he  turns  the  teeth  to  another ;  and  thus  from  one  to 
another  till  they  have  enlisted  their  company. 

The  Indians  imagine  that  dog's  flesh  makes  them 
bold  and  courageous.  I  have  seen  an  Indian  split  a 
dog's  head  with  a  hatchet,  take  out  the  brains  hot,  and 
eat  them  raw  with  the  blood  running  down  his  jaws  I 

2.  Wlien  a  relation  dies.  In  a  still  evening,  a  squaw 
will  walk  on  the  highest  land  near  her  abode,  and  with 
a  loud  and  mournful  voice  will  exclaim,  "  Oh/  Jiaice, 
haiue,  haiue,''  with  a  long  mournful  tone  to  each  kawe, 
for  a  long  time  together.  After  the  mourning  season 
is  over,  the  relations  of  the  deceased  make  a  feast  to 
wipe  off  tears,  and  the  bereaved  may  marry  freely.  If 
the  deceased  was  a  squaw,  the  relations  consult  together 
and  choose  a  squaw  (doubtless  a  widow),  and  send  her 
to  the  widower,  and  if  he  likes  her  he  takes  her  to  be 
his  wife,  if  not,  he  sends  her  back,  and  the  relations 
choose  and  send  till  they  find  one  that  he  approves  of. 

If  a  young  fellow  determines  to  marry,  his  relations 
and  a  Jesuit  advise  him  to  a  girl.  He  goes  into  the 
wigwam  where  she  is,  and  looks  on  her.  If  he  likes 
her  appearance,  he  tosses  a  stick  or  chip  into  her  lap, 
which  she  takes,  and  with  a  reserved,  side  look,  views 
the  person  who  sent  it,  yet  handles  the  chip  with  ad- 
miration, as  though  she  wondered  from  whence  it  came. 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  45 


If  she  likes  him  she  throws  the  chip  to  him  with  a 
modest  smile,  and  then  nothing  is  wanting  but  a  cere- 
mony with  the  Jesuit  to  consummate  the  marriage. 
But  if  fc:he  dislikes  her  suitor,  she,  with  a  surly  coun- 
tenance, throws  the  chip  aside,  and  he  comes  no  more 
there. 

If  parents  have  a  daughter  marriageable,  they  seek 
a  husband  for  her  who  is  a  good  hunter.  If  she  has 
been  educated  to  make  monoodah  (Indian  bags),  birch 
dishes,  to  lace  snow  shoes,  make  Indian  shoes,  string 
wampum  belts,  sew  birch  canoes,  and  boil  the  kettle, 
she  is  esteemed  a  lady  of  fine  accomplishments.  If 
the  man  sought  out  for  her  husband  have  a  gun  and 
ammunition,  a  canoe,  a  spear,  a  hatchet,  a  monoodah, 
a  crooked  knife,  looking-glass  and  paint,  a  pipe,  to- 
bacco, and  knot-bowl  to  toss  a  kind  of  dice  in,  he  is 
accounted  a  gentleman  of  a  plentiful  fortune.  What- 
ever the  new  married  man  procures  the  first  year 
belongs  to  his  wife's  parents.  If  the  young  pair  have 
a  child  within  a  year  and  nine  months,  they  are  thought 
to  be  very  forward  and  libidinous  persons. 

By  their  play  with  dice  they  lose  much  time,  play- 
ing whole  days  and  nights  together,  sometimes  stai^-ing 
their  whole  effects,  though  this  is  accounted  a  great 
vice  by  the  old  men. 

A  digression. — There  is  an  old  story  told  among  the 
Indians  of  a  family  who  had  a  daughter  that  was  ac- 
counted a  finished  beauty,  having  been  adorned  with 
the  precious  jewel,  an  Indian  education  I  She  was  so 
formed  by  nature  and  polished  by  art,  that  they  could 
not  find  for  her  a  suitable  consort.     At  length,  while 


46        Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures, 


this  t'aiiiily  were  oriee  residinij;  upon  tlio  head  of  Penoh- 
HL'ot  river,  under  the  White  Hills,  ealled  Teddon,  this 
fine  creature  waH  rnissing,  and  her  parents  could  learn 
no  tidings  of  her.  After  raucii  time  and  |)ain8  spent, 
and  tears  showered  in  quest  of  her,  they  saw  her  divert- 
ing herself  with  a  beautiful  youth,  whose  hair,  like  \\vy 
own,  flowed  down  below  his  waist,  swimming,  washing, 
etc.,  in  the  water  ;  but  they  vanished  on  their  approach. 
This  beautiful  person,  whom  they  imagined  to  be  one 
of  those  kind  spirits  who  inhabit  tiie  Teddon,  they 
looked  upon  as  their  son-in-law ;  and,  according  to 
their  custom,  they  called  upon  him  for  moose,  bear,  or 
whatever  creature  thev  desired,  and  if  they  diil  but  <io 
to  the  water-side  and  signify  their  desire,  the  animal 
would  come  swimming  to  them  I  1  have  lieard  an 
Indian  say  that  lie  lived  by  the  river,  at  the  foot  of 
the  Teddon,  the  top  of  which  he  could  see  through  the 
hole  of  his  wigwam  left  for  the  smoke  to  pass  out.  He 
was  tempted  to  travel  to  it,  and  accordingly  set  out  on 
a  summer  morning,  and  labored  hard  in  ascending  the 
hill,  all  day,  and  the  top  seemed  as  distant  from  the 
place  where  he  lodged  at  night  as  from  his  wigwam, 
where  lie  began  his  journey.  Pie  now  coni;luded  the 
spirits  were  there,  and  never  dared  to  make  a  second 
attempt. 

I  have  been  credibly  informed  that  sevei'al  others 
have  failed  in  like  attempts.  Once  three  young  men 
climbed  towards  its  summit  three  days  and  a  half,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  they  became  strangely  disor- 
dered with  delirium,  &c.,  and  when  their  imagination 
was  clear,  and  they  could  recollect  where  they  were, 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  47 

they  found  thetnselves  returned  one  day's  joiu'iiey. 
How  they  came  to  be  thus  transported  they  could  not 
eonjei'ture,  unless  the  genii  of  the  place  had  conveyed 
thein.  These  Wiiite  Hills,  at  the  iiead  of  Penobscot 
river,  are,  by  tlie  Indians,  said  to  be  much  higher  than 
those!  called  Agiockocldiook,  above  Saco.''' 

But  to  return  to  an  Indian  feast,  of  which  you  »nay 
request  a  bill  of  fare  before  you  go.  If  you  dislike  it, 
stay  at  home.  The  ingredients  are  tish,  flesh,  or  Indian 
corn  and  beans  boiled  together;  sometimes  hastv  pud- 
ding made  of  pounded  corn,  whenever  and  as  often  as 
these  are  plenty.  An  Indian  boils  four  or  live  large 
ketth^s  full,  and  sends  a  messenger  to  each  wigwam 
door,  who  exclaims,  ''  Ka/i.  menscoorebahr  that  is,  "  [ 
come  to  conduct  you  to  a  feast."  The  man  within 
demands  whether  he  must  take  a  spoon  or  a  knife  in 
his  dish,  which  he  always  carries  with  him.  They 
appoint  two  or  three  young  men  to  mess  it  out,  to  each 
man  his  [)ortion,  according  to  the  number  of  his  family 
at  home.  This  is  done  with  the  utmos;t  exactness. 
When  they  have  done  eating,  a  young  fellow  stands 
without  the  door  and  cries  aloud,  ''Mcnseco»i7nook/" 
■'  come  and  fetch  I"  Immediately  each  squaw  goes  to 
her  husband  and  takes  what  he  has  left,  which  she 
carries  home  and  eats  with  her  children.  For  neither 
married  women,  nor  any  youth  under  twenty,  are 
allowed  to  be  present :  but  old  widow  squaws  and 
captive  men  may  sit  by  the  door.  The  Indian  men 
continue  in  the  wigwam,  some  relating  their  warlike 


'>Somi' ii(|<litii)n.i  to  tlio.-<(' (niditions  will  be  found  in  the  Book  of  the  Iiidiuns,  iii. 

1.11— S.  <;.  DllARK. 


48       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 

exploits,  otliers  sotiietliing  comical,  others  narrating 
t  leir  hunting  exploits.  The  seniors  gave  mnxims  of 
prudence  and  grave  counsf  o  the  young  men  ;  and 
though  every  one's  speech  be  agreeable  to  the  run  ol' 
his  ow"'  fancy,  yet  thev  contine  themselves  to  rule,  and 
but  on 3  speaks  at  a  tmie.  Alter  every  man  has  told 
his  story,  one  rises  up,  sings  a  feast  song,  and  others 
succeed  alternately  as  the  company  sees  fit. 

Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention.  If  an  Indian 
loses  his  fire,  he  can  presently  take  two  sticks,  one 
harder  than  the  otlier  (the  drier  the  better),  and  in  the 
softest  one  make  a  hollow  or  socket,  in  which  one  end 
of  the  hardest  stick  being  inserted,  then  holding  the 
softest  piece  firm  between  his  knees,  whirls  it  round 
like  a  drill,  and  tire  will  kindle  in  a  few  minutes. 

If  they  have  lost  or  left  their  kettle,  it  is  but  putting 
their  victuals  into  a  birch  dish,  leaving  a  vacancy  in 
the  middle,  filling  it  with  water,  and  putting  in  hot 
stones  alternately ;  they  will  thus  thoroughly  boil  the 
toughest  neck  of  beef. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

OF    MY    THREE    YEARS    CAPTIVITY    WITH    THE    FRENCH. 

When  about  six  years  of  my  doleful  captivity  had 
passed,  my  second  Indian  master  died,  whose  squaw 
and  my  first  Indian  master  disputed  whose  slave  I 
should  be.  Some  malicious  persons  advised  them  to 
end  the  quarrel  by  putting  n  period  to  my  life ;  but 
honest  father  Simon,  the  priesi  of  the  river,  told  them 


Strange  Deliverances ^  etc,  49 


that  it  Would  Itc  a  lifiii()ii.>i  (•I'ime,  uiid  udvistnl  tlierii  to 
soil  me  to  the  Kiviifli.  Tlici't'  caiiir  annually  ouf  or 
two  iiii'ii  ot'  war  to  siipply  the  tort,  wliicli  was  on  tlip 
river  about  tliirtv-t'our  leagues  I'roiu  the  soa.  The  In- 
dians having  adviee  of  tiie  arrival  of  a  man  of  war  at. 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  they,  ahout  thirty  or  forty  in 
numher,  went  on  hoard  :  for  the  gentlemen  from  Kranee 
made  a  |iresent  to  them  every  year,  and  set  foi-th  the 
i-ich(>s  and  victories  of  their  monarch,  itc.  .\t  this 
time  they  presented  the  Indians  with  a  hag  or  two  of 
Hour  with  some  prunes,  us  ingredients  foi-  a  feast.  I, 
who  was  dressed  up  in  an  old  greasy  hlaid<et,  without 
i-ap,  hat,  oi-  shirt  (for  I  had  had  no  shirt  for  the  six 
years  except  the  one  I  hud  on  at  the  time  I  was  made 
prisoner),  was  invited  into  the  great  cahin.  where 
manv  W(>ll-rigged  gentlemen  were  sittiuii,  who  would 
fain  liave  had  a  full  view  of  me.  I  endeavored  to 
hide  mysL'lf  l»ehind  the  hangings,  tor  1  was  much 
ashamed.  thiid<ing  how  I  had  once  worn  clothes,  an«l 
of  my  living  with  peo|»le  wiio  could  rig  as  well  as  the 
hest  of  them.  My  master  asked  me  whether  I  chose 
to  be  sold  to  the  people  of  the  man  of  war.  or  to  the 
iidiabitants  of  the  country.  I  replied,  with  tears,  that 
I  should  he  glad  if  he  would  sell  me  t(»  the  English 
from  whom  1  was  taken  ;  but  that  if  1  must  be  sold  to 
the  French,  I  wished  to  be  sold  to  the  lowest  inhabit- 
ants on  the  river,  or  those  nearest  to  the  sea.  who  w(^re 
about  twentv-tive  leai»;ues  from  the  mouth  ol'  tlie  river; 
for  1  thought  if  I  were  sold  to  the  gentlemen  in  the 
ship,  T  shouKl  never  return  to  the  Knglish. 

This  was  the  tirst  time  1  had  seen  the  sea  during  my 
7 


50        Memoirs  of'  Odd  Adventures^ 

f'Mptivitv.  Mini  llic  lii'si  tiiiic  tlinl  I  Icul  t!l^t•■l|  .smIi  or 
l.iva.l.    ' 

My  iiiiif<(t'i'  pft'sciitlv  Went  on  shore.  mimI  ii  tew  ilnvs 
affpr.  nil  the  ItidiiUis  went  up  the  iMV<'r.  WIk'h  we 
cnriic  to  a  Iiomsp  wliifli  I  liii<l  spoken  to  my  inastfr 
about,  lie  vvf'iit  on  sliorc  with  nie  and  tarri»'<|  all  niirhl. 
The  master  of  the  houHf  spoUt-  kindly  to  me  in  Indian, 
tor  I  <-(»uld  not  then  H|)eak  one  word  ot'Krenrii.  Mailam 
nlmo  looked  pleasant  on  me,  and  gave  nie  some  l)read. 
The  next  day  I  was  sent  six  leagues  further  up  the 
river  to  another  French  house.  My  master  anti  the 
friar  tarried  with  Monsieur  l)eehouri"our.  the  irentlemnn 
who  had  entertained  us  the  nigdit  hefore.  Not  long 
after,  father  Simon  came  and  saiil,  "  Now  yon  ai'e  one 
of  UH.  for  voii  are  sold  to  that  gentleman  hy  whom  you 
were  entertained  the  other  night.  "  I  replied.  '■  Sold  I 
to  a  Frenehman  !"'  I  eould  say  no  more,  went  into 
the  woods  alone,  and  wept  till  I  eould  scarce  see  or 
stand  !  The  woi-d  Hold,  and  that  to  a  pe()j)le  of  that 
persuasion  which  my  dear  mother  so  nuu-h  dete-sted, 
and  in  her  last  words  manifested  so  great  fears  of  mv 
falling  into  I     These  thoughts  almost  broke  my  heart. 

When  J  had  tlius  given  vent  to  my  grief  1  wiped 
mv  eves,  endeavoring  to  conceal  its  effects,  but  father 
Himon,  perceiving  my  eyes  were  swollen,  called  me 
aside,  and  bidding  me  not  to  grieve,  for  the  gentleman, 
he  isaid,  to  whom  I  was  sold  was  of  a  good  humor  : 
that  he  had  formerly  bought  two  ca[)tives,  both  of 
whom  had  been  sent  to  Bo.ston.  This,  in  some  mea- 
sure, revived  me  ;  but,  he  added,  \w  ilid  not  suppose  I 
would  ever  wish   to  go  to  the   Fnglish,  lor  the  h'rem-h 


Stf'dNge  Deliverances^  etc\  51 

rt'liujiuM  Uii-  *ii  liiucli  lictt"'!'.  lie  Hfli«l.  nlsd,  lie  -liolllil 
|ia>s  flint  Wiiy  ill  iilioiit   tell  tlnys.  iitnl  if   I  diil    imt  lilxf 

to     li\T    Witll    liir    I'Vrlirll    ln'ltt'l'    tllMII    witll     lilt'    lll<liilI|S. 

Iir  would  liiiy  lilt'  Mtiiiiii.  On  tlic  tlay  l'i>llt)\viiii;,  tatlifr 
SiiiioM  aiitl  iii\-  liitliaii  iiiasltT  Wfiit  ii|t  tlif  rivt-i'  six 
ami  lliirly  Ifaifiics,  to  tln.'ir  rliid'  villaiif.  ami  I  went 
•  lowii  tlif  rivoi-  six  K'asiiit's  witli  two  Kri'iit-lmit'ii  to  my 
iH'W  iiia>tt'r.  lit'  Uiiitlly  roct'ivctl  me.  ami  in  a  t'cw 
iiav>  maijaiii  mailf  nu'  an  oHiialniry;  shirt  ami  Frcncli 
(•a|),  ami  a  foat  out  ol'  laic  of  my  masters  ttltl  coats. 
Tlit'U  I  tlii-fW  away  my  <>;i't'n.sy  l>laiil<et  ami  Imliiin  Hap, 

aiitl  looki'tl  as  smart  as .      Ami  I   iifxt-r  intirc  saw 

tilt'  tiltl  iViar.  till'  Iiitlian  villa^t.',  or  my  liitliaii  master, 
till  altoiit  I'ourtet'u  years  after,  when  I  saw  my  okl 
Imliaii  master  at  Port  lloyal.  whither  I  had  heeii  sent 
hy  the  government  with  a  Hag  of  truee  for  the  ext-haiige 
ot'  prisoners  :  ami  again,  about  twenty- four  years  sinee. 
he  fame  to  St.  Johns,  to  fort  George,  to  see  me,  where 
i  matle  him  very  welcome. 

Mv  i'Vencli  mast  -r  lieM  a  iireat  trade  with  the  Jn- 
tliaiis.  which  suited  iiie  very  well,  I  heing  thoi'ough  in 
the  languages  of  the  trilies  at  C'a[)e  Sahle  and  St.  .lohns. 

I  had  not  lived  lony;  with  this  y;entleman  before  he 
committed  tt)  me  the  l^eys  of  his  store,  ikv.,  ami  my 
whole  emitlovment  was  tradinu'  aiitl  huntim'',  in  which 
I  at:!ted  faithfullv  for  mv  master,  and  never,  knowinirlv. 
wrony-ed  him  to  the  value  of  one  farthinn. 

1^hey  spoke  to  me  so  much  in  Indian  that  it  was 
some  time  before  I  was  perfect  in  the  French  tongue. 
Monsieur  generally  had  his  goods  from  the  men  (^f  war 
which  came  tli(>re  annuallv  I'rom  France. 


5  2        Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 


111  till'  ycMi'  hU>(>,  two  iiicii  of  war  canip  to  tin* 
mouth  ot'  tilt'  river.  In  their  way  they  had  cuptured 
the  NV'\v|)ort.  < 'a[»taiii  Tuysoii.  ami  hroi^^ht  him  with 
tfiem.  They  ma<le  the  fmliaiis  some  proseiits,  ami 
invited  them  to  join  in  an  exj)e<litioii  to  l*eTnma<|ui(l. 
They  iUM-epteil  it.  and  soon  utter  arrived  there.  (!a|)- 
tain  (!hubh.  who  eommaiKh'd  that  [lost.  delivered  it  up 
without  nuieh  dispute,  to  Monsieur  |)"Iherville.  as  I 
heard  the  gentleman  say.  with  whom  I  li\'ed.  who  was 
there  present  .''• 

Karlv  in  the  spring  I  was  sent  with  three  Kreneh 
men  to  the  mouth  ol"  the  river,  tor  provision,  which 
eanie  trom  I'ort  Royal-  We  carried  over  land  Irom 
the  river  to  a  lar«»;e  hay.  whei-e  we  were  driven  on 
an  island  hy  a  northeast  storm,  where  we  wei-e  kt^pt 
seven  days,  without  any  sustenance,  lor  we  expectetl  a 
i|uick  passage,  and  carried  nothiiii!;  with  us.  The  wind 
continuing  hoistei'ous.  we  could  not  return  hack,  and 
the  ice  prevented  our  going  forward,  .\fter  seven 
days  the  ice  hroke  up  and  we  went  torwartl,  though 
we  were  So  Weak  that  we  could  scan-e  hear  each  other 
speak.      The   j)e()|)le   at    the   month   of   the    ri\er   were 


■TliP  Ki'ViM'i'iiil  Mr.  MiitlH'i-  .fii.v  wittily,  ii^  hi'  !'ii>>  I'Miytliiiii.',  "  'l'lii~  ehiilili  limitil 
<>|i|inrtiiiiit\,  ill  ii  pvi'tty  cliiiblii.'-li  iii^iinii'i',  to  Kill  tin'  l':iiiiiiii<  K<lu'*'i'''iii''l  iiihI  Miimi- 
i|iii(l,  II  fiiiijilt'  (if  |irim'i|iiil  linliiiiiK,  mi  ii  LnrilV  il;ij,  tlic  liiili  ol'  Kdirii.in,  lii'.O.  If 
ttii'i'i' i-  iiiiv  Miifiiir  i|<;iliiiu'  in  this  iii'linii  nl'  Cliiilih.  thiTr  will  hi' iiimtln'r  h't'tiiiini-y. 
nut  fur  nil',  Hlniiill  thi' iivciiLii'i- nf  IiIihhI  will  ImUc  s.ilJ-liiclJDii."  -||i<l.  N.  V..  |  M!ii.'ii!i- 
li.i|  H.  vii.  7'.i. 

Ml-.  IMiithi'i' mill-.  "Oil  till'  4th  111' ."itli  111'  .Aii^iiHt,  Cliiidh.  with  .'in  iiiiidiiiMiiili  Imsi-- 
iics.'*,  iliit  .•.iirii'iiili'r  till'  Imivi'  Imt  nt'  I'i'iiiiiini|iiii|  iiun  ihci.'  h.iiiiU."  |  Km'  mm  iiiinMMl. 
iif  till'  HTPtrlii'il  liiti"  iit'Chllhli  n«  well  iis  thnt  nt'tlii'  wliiilf  IriiiiMi.liuii.  -^i-i'  HnnU  nf  tlii- 
linliiins.  H.  iii.  I'.M,  I.-.:.] 

I'lithiiikiiin  iiH'ii  nil  Mi't  ill  -irii|ili'>  nitiUr. 

Villi  Miiliir  iirr  liiiil  milv  I'm'  iiiiirliii'l"'  -iikr. 

lint  I'V'll  IllO  lic-t  lllr  uniltv  liV  llli«l!lUi'. 


Strange  Deliverances^  etc,  13 

siu'pri^otl  to  si'c  lis  ali\>',  aiul  iulvisftl  us  to  he  cinitioiis 
and  altstt'iiiiotis  in  fatiiii<;.  By  iliin  time  1  knew  as 
ii\iich  ot"  tasting  as  tlu-y,  tui<l  dieted  011  Urotli,  and 
recovered  very  well,  as  did  one  of  tin-  others,  lait  tlie 
other  two  would  not  be  advised,  and  1  never  saw  any 
persons  in  greater  distress,  till  at  length  they  hud  action 
ot"  the  l»owels.  when  tht>y  ret-oveivd. 

.\  friar,  wiio  lived  in  the  family,  invited  nie,  to  con 
fession,  hut  I  e.xcusetl  myself  as  well  as  I  could  at  that, 
time.  One  evening  he  took  me  into  his  apartment  in 
the  dark  and  advised  me  to  confess  to  liim  wliat  sins  I 
had  committed.  I  toKl  him  1  could  not  rememher  a 
thousandth  part  of  them,  they  were  so  numerous. 
Then  ln'  hid  me  rememher  and  relate  as  many  as  I 
cuuld.  and  he  would  pardon  them,  signifying  he  had  a 
l»ag  to  put  tiiem  in.  I  told  him  1  did  not  believe  it 
was  in  the  power  of  any  but  (iod  to  pardon  sin,  He 
asked  me  wiietiier  I  had  read  the  Bible.  1  told  him  I 
had  when  1  was  a  little  bov,  but  it  was  .so  lotiii  ajjo  I 
had  forjiotten  most  of  it.  Then  he  told  me  he  did  not 
pardon  my  sins,  but  when  he  knew  them  he  prayed  to 
Cxod  to  pardon  tliem :  when,  perhaps,  I  was  at  my 
sports  and  plays,  lie  wished  me  well,  and  fioped  1 
should  be  better  advised,  and  said  he  siiould  call  for 
me  in  a  little  time.  Thus  he  dismissed  me,  nor  did  he 
ever  call  me  to  confession  afterwards. 

The  gentleman  with  whom  I  lived  had  a  tine  field 
of  wheat,  in  which  great  numbers  of  blackbirds  con- 
tinually collected  and  made  great  havoc  in  it.  The 
French  said  a  -lesuit  woaM  come  and  banish  them. 
He  did  at  length  come,  and  liavingall  things  j)repared. 


54       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 

lu'  took  a  liMsiii  ul'  lioly  water,  w  statf  witli  a  little 
brush,  ami  liavinu'  on  \\\>  \\\\\\i'  rol»<'.  w<Mit  into  \\\v 
field  of  wlu'Ht.  I  ask<;'<i  several  prisoners  who  had 
lately  hcen  taken  hy  privateers,  and  hroiiL'lit  in  there, 
viz:  Mr.  Woodbury,  (Jocks  j(!'ux?]  and  Moruan.  whether 
they  would  gu  aiul  see  the  eereniony,  Mr.  Woodbury 
asked  uie  whether  I  desiuned  to  gii.  ami  I  told  him 
yes.  He  tlien  said  I  was  as  l»ad  a.s  a  papist,  and  a 
d — d  tool.  I  told  him  I  believed  as  little  of"  it  as  he 
did.  but  I  was  inelineil  to  see  the  ceremony,  tiiat  I 
might  tx'll  it  to  my  friends. 

With  about  thirty  followiniz' in  jM-ocession,  the  Jesuit 
marehed  througii  the  field  of  wheat,  a  yoimi>:  lad  goiiiL^ 
before  him  beariuu"  the  holy  water.  Then  the  .Jesuit, 
dipping  his  l»rusli  into  the  holy  water,  sprinkled  the 
field  on  each  side  ol'  him.  a  little  bell  jingling  at  the 
same  time,  and  all  singing  the  words.  (Jrn  />/"  unhix. 
At  the  end  of  the  field  they  wheeled  to  the  left  about, 
and  returned.  Tlius  they  passed  anil  repassed  the  tiehl 
of  wheat,  the  blackbirds  all  the  while  rising  before 
them  onlv  to  light  behind.  \\  their  return  I  told  a 
French  lad  that  the  friar  had  done  no  service,  and 
recommended  them  t;o  shoot  the  birds.  The  lad  left 
tne,  as  I  thought,  to  see  what  the  .).f«uil  woidd  say  to 
my  observation,  which  turned  out  to  be  the  ense,  for 
he  told  the  lad  that  the  sins  of  tic  |jeople  wen-  so  great 
he  could  not  prevail  against  tliose  birds.  The  same 
friar  as  vaiidv  attemjited  to  l)anish  the  musketoes  from 
f^ignecto.  but  the  sins  of  the  people  there  were  also  too 
great  for  him  to  prevail.  l)Ut.  on  the  other  hand,  it 
seemed   that   more  came,  which   caused  the   people  to 


Strange  Deliverances ^  etc*  55 

.^uspef't  tliiit  soiiii'  liJttl  foiiir  t"i)i-  rlif  sins  of  tlif  .Ifsuit 
also. 

iSoiiic  time  after,  (voloiH'l  Hawthorne  attempted  the 
raking  of  the  French  fort  up  tliis  river.  We  lieard  of 
him  some  time  before  lie  came  up.  by  the  L'uard  which 
(Tovernor  Villebon  had  stationed  at  the  river's  mouth. 
Monsieur,  my  master,  had  gone  to  France,  and  madam, 
his  wife,  advised  with  m<'.  She  desired  me  to  nail  a 
paper  on  the  door  of  her  house,  which  paper  read  as 
follows  : 

■'  I  entreat  the  general  of  the  Fnglish  not  to  burn 
my  house,  or  barn,  nor  destroy  my  cattle.  I  don't 
supjtose  that  such  an  army  comes  here  to  destroy  a  few 
inhabii:ant8.  but  to  take  the  fort  above  us.  I  have 
shown  kindness  to  the  Knglish  captives,  as  we  were 
capacitated,  and  have  liought  two.  oi"  tla^  Indians,  and 
sent  them  to  Boston.  We  have  one  now  with  us,  and 
lie  shall  go  also  when  a  convenient  opportunitv  pre- 
sents, aiitl  he  (lesires  it." 

When  I  had  done  this,  madam  said  to  me,  "  Little 
Fnglish."  j  which  was  the  familiar  name  she  used  to 
call  me  byi.  "  we  havt-  shown  you  kindness,  and  now 
it  lies  in  your  |»ower  to  serve  or  di.>serve  us,  as  you 
know  where  our  gooijs  are  hid  in  the  woods,  and  that 
uu)nsieur  is  not  at  home.  I  <'ould  have  sent  you  to  the 
fort  and  put  you  under  continement,  but  my  respect  to 
you  and  your  assurance  of  love  to  us  have  disposed  me 
to  confide  in  you.  persuaded  you  will  not  hurt  us  or 
our  artairs.  .\nd  now,  if  you  will  not  run  away  to  the 
English  who  are  coming  up  the  river,  but  serve  our 
interest.  \  will  acquaint  monsieui-  of  it   on   his  return 


56        Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures^ 


from  France,  which  will  he  very  pleasing  to  hiiii  ;  \.\\\k\ 
I  now  give  my  word  you  shull  have  lihtrty  to  go  to 
Boston  on  the  tirst  opportunity^  it  you  Je«iire  it,  or  any 
other  favor  in  my  power  shall  not  hefJenieil  you. 

r  replied  :  '  Madam,  it  is  contrary  to  the  nature  of 
the  English  to  requite  evil  for  good.  I  siiall  endeavor 
to  serve  you  and  your  interest.  T  shall  not  run  to  the 
English,  but  if  I  am  taken  by  them  T  shall  willingly 
go  with  them,  and  yet  endeavor  not  to  disserve  you, 
either  in  your  person  or  goods," 

The  place  where  we  lived  was  called  Hagimsack. 
twenty-five  leagues  from  the  river's  mouth,  as  I  have 
before  stilted. 

We  now  embarked  and  went  in  a  large  boat  and 
canoe  two  or  three  miles  up  an  eastern  branch  of  the 
river  that  comes  from  a  large  pond,  an<l  on  the  follow- 
ing evening  sent  down  four  iiands  to  make  discovery. 
And  while  they  werr  sitting  in  the  house  the  Knglish 
surrounded  it  and  took  one  of  the  four.  The  other 
three  made  their  escape  in  thn  dark  and  through  the 
English  soldiers,  and  coming  to  us.  gave  a  surprising 
account  of  afiairs.  Upon  this  news  madam  said  to  me, 
"  Little  English,  now  you  can  go  from  us,  but  I  hopt- 
you  will  remember  your  word.'  I  said,  "  Madam,  bf 
not  concerned.  I  will  not  leave  you  in  this  strait." 
She  said,  "  1  know  not  w^hat  to  do  with  my  two  poor 
little  babes."  1  said,  "  Madam,  the  sooner  we  nmijarl^ 
and  go  over  the  great  pond  the  better."  Accordingly 
we  embarked  and  went  over  the  pond.  The  next  day 
we  spoke  with  Indians,  who  were  in  a  canoe,  and  they 
gave  us  an  account  that  8ignecto  town  was  taken  and 


Strange  Deliverances ^  etc,  57 


l)iirnt.  Soon  at'tor  we  heard  the  great  guns -at  Gov. 
V'iUebon's  tort,  whicli  the  EngHsh  engaged  several 
ihiys.  fhey  killed  one  man,  then  drew  off  down  the 
river,  tearing  to  continue  longer  lor  fear  of  being  trozen 
in  for  the  winter,  which  in  truth  thev  would  have  been. 

Hearing  no  report  of  cannon  for  several  days,  I,  with 
two  others,  went  down  to  our  house  to  make  discovery. 
We  found  our  vouni>;  hid  who  was  taken  bv  the  Eny;- 
lish  when  they  went  up  the  river.  The  general  had 
sliown  himself  so  honorable,  that  on  reading  the  note 
on  our  door,  he  ordered  it  not  to  be  burnt,  nor  the  barn. 
Uur  cattle  and  other  things  he  preservetl,  except  one  or 
two.  and  the  poultry  for  use.  At  their  return  they 
ordered  the  young  lad  to  be  put  on  shore.  Finding 
things  in  this  posture,  we  returned  and  gave  madam 
an  account  of  it. 

Siie  acknowledged  the  many  favors  whicli  the  Eng- 
lish had  showed  her,  with  gratitude,  and  treated  me 
with  great  civility.  The  next  spring  monsieur  arrived 
from  France  in  the  man  of  war.  He  thanked  me  for 
my  care  of  his  affairs,  and  said  he  would  endeavor  to 
fultill  what  madam  had  promised  me. 

Accordingly,  in  the  year  1698,  peace  being  pro- 
claimed, a  sloop  came  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  with 
ransom  for  one  Michael  (.\)oms.  I  put  monsieur  in 
mind  of  his  word,  telling  him  there  was  now  an  op[)or- 
tunitv  for  me  to  ufo  and  see  the  Hnglish.  He  advised 
me  to  continue  with  him  ;  said  he  would  do  for  me  as 
for  his  own,  i&c.  I  tluinkeil  him  for  his  kindness,  but 
rather  chose  to  go  to  Boston,  hoping  to  find  some-  of 
my  relations  yet  alive.  Then  he  advised  me  to  go  up 
8 


58       Memoirs  of  Odd  Adventures y 

to  the  fort  and  take  my  leave  of  tiu'  governor,  which  I 
did,  and  he  spoke  very  kindly  to  nif,  Sonir  dayn 
after,  1  took  my  leave  of  madam,  and  monsieur  went 
down  to  the  mouth  of  the  riv^r  with  mc  to  sue  me 
safely  on  board.  ,He  iwked  the  master.  Mr.  fStarkr-e,  >i 
Scotehman.  whether  I  mu.st  pay  lur  my  passage,  and  if 
BO,  he  would  pay  it  himself  rather  than  1  should  have 
it  to  pay  at  my  arrival  in  Boston.  l»ut  iie  gave  mt^  not 
a  penny.  The  master  told  him  there  was  nothing  to 
pay,  and  that  if  the  owner  sliould  make  any  demand, 
he  would  pay  it  himself,  rather  than  a  po<»r  ]»ris()ner 
should  suffer,  for  he  was  glad  to  see  any  Knglish  i)erson 
fome  out  of  eaptivitv. 

On  the  13th  of  .lune.  I  took  my  leave  of  nionsieiu'. 
and  the  sloop  came  to  sail  for  Boston,  where  w^' arrived 
on  the  19th  of  the  same,  at  night.  In  the  morning 
after  my  arrival,  a  youth  came  on  boaid  and_  asked 
many  questions  relating  to  my  captivity,  and  at  length 
gave  me  to  understand  that  he  was  mv  little  brother 
who  was  at  play  with  some  othei-  <'hildren  at  l^-nnua 
quid  when  \  was  taken  iraptive.  and  who  escajted  into 
the  fort  at  that  perilous  time.  Pie  told  me  my  elder 
brother,  who  made  his  escape  from  the  farm,  when  it 
was  taken,  and  our  two  little  sisters,  were  alive,  but 
that  our  mother  had  l»een  dead  some  years.  Then  we 
went  on  shore  and  saw  our  elder  bi'other. 

On  the  2d  of  August,  1<)89,  1  was  taken,  and  on  the 
I9th  of  June.  169H,  I  arrived  at  l»oston.  so  that   1  was 
absent  eight  years,  ten   months,   and  seventeen   <lays. 
Tn  all  which  time,  though  I  undei'went  extreme  diffi 
culties.  vet  I  saw  much  of  (Jod  s  uoodm'ss.      .And  iiiav 


Appendix,  eg 

the  most  powerful  arul  1m.„.  iicent  Being  accept  of  this 
puKlK-  testiM.ony  of  it.  and  hlens  my  experiences  to 
excite  otiiers  to  cunHde  ii.  his  ali-8ufficiencv,  through 
the  infinite  merits  of  Jksfs  Ohiust. 


APPENDIX. 

CONTAINIMG  MINUTES  OF  THE  EMPLOYMENTS,   PUBLIC  STA 

TIONS,  ETC.,  OF  JOHN  GYLES,  ESQ..  COMMANDER  OF 

THE  GARRISON  ON  .ST.   GEORGE'S  RIVER. 

Aftkk  my  return  out  of  captivity,  June  28th.  1698. 
I  applied   myself  to   the  government  for  their  fevor 
Soon  after.  I  was  emph.verl   by  old  father  Mitchel    of 
Maiden,  to  go  an  his  interpreter  on  trading  account,  to 
ot.  Joim  s  river. 

October  14th.  ](-;9S.  1  vva.s  emploved  bv  the  govern- 
rm-nt.  Lieutenant  (Governor  8toughton  comn,ander-in- 
chiet.  to  go  as  interpreter,  at  three  pounds  per  month 
with  Major  C.nverse  and  old  Captain  Alden.  to  Penob- 
scot to  fetch  captives.  At  our  return  to  Boston  I  wa«. 
dismissed:  but  within  a  few  days  the  governor  sent 
for  me  to  interpret  a  ronferen.-.-  with  Bomma/een.  and 
other  Indians  then  in  jail. 

Some  time  after.  I  was  again  put  in  pav  in  order  to 
go  interpreter  with  Col.  Phillips  and  (Japt.kuthack  in 
the  province  galley,   t..  ('asco    Bay,  to  exchange  said 
Indians  |  Bommazeen  and  others  |,  for  English  captives 
In  December.  1698.  we  returned  to  Boston  witl; 
eral  captives    which    we    had    liberated,    and     I 


1  sev- 
was 


rf  . 


60  Appendix, 

dismissed  the  service,  iind  desired  to  uttfMid  it  in  the 
spring.  I  pleaded  to  be  kept  in  [uiy  tiiat  I  might  have 
wherewith  to  siipp(jrt  myself  at  school.  1  wmt  into 
tlie  country,  to  iiowley.  where  hoarding  was  cheap,  to 
pra('tise  what  little  I  had  attaine(l  at  school. 

March,  161)1).  With  the  little  of  my  wages  that  I 
ct)uld  reserve,  I  paid  lor  my  schooling  and  hoard,  and 
attended  the  service  u})on  retpicst,  and  was  again  }tut 
into  pay,  and  went  with  Ool.  I'hillips  and  ^Slaj.  Con- 
verse in  a  large  brigantine,  up  Jvennebeck  river  tor 
captives,  and  at  our  return  to  T^oston,  the  province  gal- 
ley being  arrived  from  New  York  with  my  lord  Belle- 
mont,  and  the  province  truck  put  on  board,  1  was 
ordered  on  board  the  galley.  We  cruised  on  the  east- 
ern shore;  and  in  November,  I(i91),  I  was  jait  out  of 
})ay,  though  I  pleaded  to  be  continuetl  in  it,  seeing  I 
imist  attend  the  service  in  the  spring,  and  be  at  consid- 
erable expense  in  the  winter  for  my  schooling. 

In  the  spring  of  1700,  T  attended  the  service,  and 
was  under  })ay  again.  On  August  27th,  a  fort  was 
ordered  to  be  built  at  Casco  Bay,  which  was  finished 
on  the  6th  of  October  following,  and  the  province  truck 
landed,  and  I  was  ordered  to  reside  there  as  interpreter, 
with  a  captain,  c^c.  Not  long  after,  Governor  ])udley 
sent  me  a  lieutenant's  commission,  with  a  memorandum 
on  its  back,  "No  further  pay  but  as  interpreter,  at 
three  pounds  per  month." 

August  10th,  1703.  The  French  and  Indiiins  he- 
sieged  our  fort  for  six  days.  (]\Iajor  March  was  our 
commander.)  On  the  16tli  of  the  same  month,  Capt. 
Boutliack  arrived  in  the  province  galley,  and  in  the 
night  following,  the  enemy  withdrew. 


Appendix,  6 1 

May  lyth,  1704.  I  received  a  tow  lines  from  his 
excellency,  directing  me  to  leave  my  post,  and  accom- 
pany (Colonel  Churcli  on  un  expedition  round  the  bay 
of  Fundy.'''  September  following  I  returned  to  my 
post,  without  any  further  wages  or  encouragement  for 
that  service  than  the  beforeiuentioned  pay  at  the  gar- 
rison. 

April.  17()(>.  There  was  a  change  of  the  chief  otft- 
cer  at  our  garrison.  1  chose  to  be  dismissed  with  my 
old  of^cer,  whicii  was  granted.  The  same  year,  his 
excellency.  Irovernor  Dudley,  presented  me  witii  a 
captain  8  commission,  and  ordered  Colonel  Saltonstall 
to  detach  fifty  elective  luen  to  be  delivered  to  me  in 
order  for  a  march. 

In  May,  1707,  I  entered  on  an  expetlition  under 
Colonel  March,  for  Port  Royal,  at  the  termination  of 
which  I  was  dismissed. 

May  12th,  1708,  F  received  orders  from  his  excel- 
lent'V  to  go  to  Port  Royal  with  a  flag  of  truce  to  ex- 
change prisoners,  and  brought  off  all.  At  my  return 
1  was  dismissed  the  service. 

In  1709,  1  received  a  commission,  and  Colonel  Noyes 
had  orders  to  detach  forty  men,  whom  he  put  under 
me,  with  orders  to  join  the  forces  for  Canada.  At  Hull, 
August  1st,  1709,  r  received  orders  from  his  excellencv 
to  leave  my  company  with  my  lieutenants,  and  go  to 
Port  Royal  with  a  flag  of  truce  to  exchange  prisoners. 
I  went  in  the  slooj)  Plannah  and  Ruth,  Tiiomas  Waters, 


■■'  A  lull  iirc()iii\i  of  thiscx|)i'i|itiiiii:  iiiidcr  rnlotH-l  Cliurcli,  will  lir  roimd  in  (.'liun.-li'! 
History  of  King  Phillip's  War,  Ac,  ed.  liimo.,  Hoston,  IH-.'T,  byS.  d.  Drake. 


6  2  Appendix, 

iiiiiHtcr,  T  liiid  nine  Froncli  prisoiuTs,  wliicli  were  itll 
timt  were  in  our  governor's  IiiukIh.  Tlir.-ic  he  onk'rcil 
me  to  deliver  to  (rovernor  Siiperciiss,  "  ;uid  to  let  him 
know  tliiit  he  jCtjloncl  J^udley  |  expected  him  to  deliver 
all  the  KngliHh  prisoners  within  his  power,  within  six 
days,  which  I  was  ordered  to  demantl  and  insist  upon, 
agreeably  tt)  his  promise  last  year."  1  was  ordered  to 
observe  to  him  that  (iovernor  J)udley  highly  resent  d 
his  breach  of  promise  in  not  sending  them  early  this 
Hpring,  according  to  his  parole  of  honor,  by  myself, 
when  wo  had  returned  him  upwards  of  forty  of  his 
people,  and  had  made  provision  for  bringing  home  ours ; 
and  to  make  particular  inquiry  after  Caj)tain  Myles, 
and  to  demand  his  and  his  company's  release  also. 

Accordingly,  arriving  at  Port  Koyal,  1  was  kindly 
entertained  by  (iovernor  Supercass ;  brought  otl"  one 
hundred  prisoners.  Koon  after  my  return  our  forces 
were  dismiss(>d,  and  1  received  no  other  consideration 
for  my  services  than  pay  as  ca)»tain  of  my  company. 

August,  1715.  I  was  desired,  anil  had  great  prom- 
ises made  me  by  the  proprietors,  and  received  orders 
from  his  excellency,  to  build  a  fort  at  Pejcpscot  [now 
Brunswick,  Me].  Soon  after  our  arrival  there  the 
Indians  came  in  the  night,  and  forbid  our  laying  one 
stone  upon  another.  I  told  them  1  came  with  orders 
from  Governor  Dudlev  to  build  a  fort,  and  if  thev  dis- 
liked  it,  they  might  acquaint  him  with  it;  and  that  if 
they  came  forcibly  upon  us,  they  or  1  should  fall  on 
the  spot.  After  such  like  hot  words  they  left  us,  and 
we  went  on  with  our  building,  and  finished  it  Novem- 
ber 25th,  1715,  and  our  carpenters  and  masons  left  us. 


Appendix,  63 

^^y  vva^os  were  very  snuill,  y*'t  tlie  goiitlojncii  pro- 
priotorn  ordered  iiie  oidy  tlvo  pounds  I'or  my  good  Her- 
viees,  iV'c. 

.lulv  I2tli.  1722,  11  mindn'r  of  Indians  engaged  fort 
(tcorge  about  two  hours,  killing  one  person,  and  then 
drew  (jir  to  killing  catth,',  etc. 

A{)ril,  172'),  i  received  orders  from  Ins  honor,  Lieut. 
Governor  i>)iimmer.  to  go  ten  days'  march  up  Ammis- 
coggin  river,  and  in  my  al)seni;e  the  Indians  kille(l  two 
men  at  otn-  fort.  1  received  no  further  pay  for  said 
service,  oidy  the  pay  of  the  garrison. 

December  12th,  1725,  I  was  dismissed  from  fort 
(leorge,  and  Capt.  Woodside  received  at'onnni.ssion  for 
the  command  of  that  place. 

December  loth,  1725.  I  was  commissioned  for  the 
garrison  at  St.  George's  river. 

September,  1726.  I  was  detained  some  months 
from  my  post  by  order  of  (lovernor  Dummer,  to  inter- 
pret for  the  Cape  riable  Indians,  who  were  brought  in 
and  found  guilty.'''  There  was  no  other  person  in  the 
province  that  had  their  language.  His  honor,  and  the 
honorable  (council,  presented  me  with  ten  pounds  for 
this  service,  which  I  gratefully  received. 

November  28th,  1728.  I  was  commissioned  for  the 
|)eace. 

I  have  had  the  honor  to  serve  this  province  under 
eight  connnanders-in-chief,  governors,  and   lieutenant 


'■'TlHMt'  wcro  fivf  (irilicin  lit'lip|ij»lii^  to  llic  St,  Kraiicis  tiilx-.  Tlu-y  hiid  .x(>ized  on  u 
VfsM'l  at  New  Komnlluiid,  ticloii<{iiiK  to  I'lytiioutli.  Thi'  iid  liciiig  (•oll^<ill<•I•Cil  pinicy, 
llicy  weri'  111!  uxuciitcil  iil  Ho.stoii.— S.  U.  Duake.    (.M.S.  Cliroiiiclc.x  of  the  Iinliuu.f.) 


64 


Appendi 


IX, 


^uvcniois,  tVuiii  the  yt'iir  l(>9H  to  tlie  yt'iir  17'^<>; 
and  liow  iniich  Iomi^cm'  my  scrvicoH  may  continue,  I 
sul>mit  to  tilt'  ( lovcrnor  ol'  tlif  worM,  who  ov(.'rruU'H 
every  circiimstancf  ol"  litr,  wliidi  relatfs  fo  our  liaj»- 
pinoHH  and  usel'ulncH.s,  a.s  in  intinite  wisdom  he  sees 
meet. 


